


Male MC Mystic Messenger: Jumin Route

by GhostingOverTheKeys



Series: Male MC Mystic Mesenger [4]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt, Fluff and Angst, M!MC, M/M, Male Protagonist, Minor Violence, Moving On, Original Character(s), POV Third Person, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-06-13 00:27:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 130,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15352179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostingOverTheKeys/pseuds/GhostingOverTheKeys
Summary: Mystic Messenger Jumin Route with a Male MC twistZack Rein has just found out his long time childhood friend turned lover had been cheating on him one week before the wedding. With his whole life turning upside down he takes an offer to vacation in South Korea and clear his head. One day a stranger tells him of the RFA app promising paradise and salvation from it. Now, through a misunderstanding, Zack takes on the role of the RFA's guest coordinator. If anything, he'd at least be able to do some good in someone else's life.And maybe, he'd be able to move on from his betrayal.





	1. Prologue: 2 Months Before Joining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've seen this before, it's because I'm redoing it. I didn't like the flow or plot for my first one so now I've redone it and I must say that I really like it so far. Lol it's only the first chapter but still.   
> This time, unlike the Yoosung route, I'm going to take it slower. I noticed the first time around that I don't give enough time for their to be any bonding which isn't good. So anyways, I hope you all enjoy.

“Which ones are your jeans?” 

“The black ones.” 

“Oh yeah I can see it now… Where’s my shirt?” 

“I don’t know, I didn’t pay attention.” 

“…Found it. Okay, I’m heading out.” 

“Hey, where’s the nearest-…” The door slammed. “Argh…” Zack sat up slowly and grunted in slight pain. “…What did I just do?” He pulled at his face and groaned. “I’m such an idiot.” 

He had just had a one night stand with some guy he met at a party. Normally he would never do this, he couldn’t have sex unless there was some meaning to it. But, he wanted revenge. Just two days ago he found out that his fiancé was cheating on him with one of the groomsmen one week before the wedding. His reasoning? He was a _little_ bored. 

Needless to say, he decide to prove _he_ wasn’t boring by sleeping with someone random. Zack gripped the back of his neck and rocked slightly. _Yeah, I sure showed him. I just had sex with someone and you’re not even here for me to rub it into your stupid face, whoop-dee-doo-da-day… It wasn’t even good. I felt nothing the whole time. Well I mean I felt something but nothing meaningful._

There was a knock on the door. Zack swallowed thickly before croaking out. “I’m leaving.” 

“Well hurry up!” 

He could finally hear the bass of the music again. He quickly got dressed and grabbed his glasses. The door burst open and he quietly slipped past the new “lucky couple”. It only made him feel more dirty that he was just on a bed that others probably used for the exact same thing he did. He quickly ran down the stairs and weaved his way through the people. The music, the smell, the amount of people hanging around here, was making him feel anxious. He pushed past grinding bodies and shoved a couple aside. 

“Hey! You prick!” 

“Sorry!” Zack ran towards the front door and gasped as his body was enveloped in the cold night air. He ran to his car and collapsed inside. 

The car revved up and soft music filled the cold empty space. With a thunk, he leaned his head back and scratched at his wrist. The only good thing that came out of this was that he liked the ribbon the guy used to tie his wrist, he found he kind of liked the whole tying up thing. Just not with a stranger. The deal was, only one wrist, just in case the guy tried to murder him or something. 

He rubbed his engagement ring and sighed. He should really get rid of it, maybe pawn it or throw it in the river. He felt like everything was a mess, he had wedding payments, wedding gifts to return, he was living with his parents again, he lost his phone, and just yesterday he was fired from his job. He was losing it. And now he sat there smelling like weed and cheap booze with a large hickey on his neck, and not in the place he preferred either. This whole night was a complete waste. Hell, these past sixteen years with that bastard had been a complete waste. 

Zack mustered up the strength to not drive into a river and instead decided the home would be a better option. 

Unfortunately for him, despite being 23, he was under a strict curfew in his parents house. “My house my rules.” His father told him the day he moved back in. Zack parked his car in driveway and quietly made his way to the backyard. He called over his dog, Dozer, and made sure she knew he was there before climbing over the fence. “Shh shh…” He petted her head as she sniffed his shirt like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “Don’t smell this, it’s disgusting.” He whispered. “Look, I’ll play with you later, go back to sleep.” 

He quietly opened the backdoor and locked it behind him. He felt like a teenager again, and frankly he didn’t want to remember those years right now. Those years where he would sneak off with _him_ and just watch the stars and talk about leaving this stupid town and finally seeing the world, together. He waved the thoughts away as he looked into the fridge and grabbed a beer. The light suddenly turned on. 

“Shit…” his blood ran cold. 

“Ay mi hijito… where have you been?” His mother, Margaret, walked up to him slowly. “You smell.” 

“Yeah.” He opened the can and sat down at the kitchen table. “I know.” 

“You snuck out?” 

“I’m an adult. I just wanted to go out and do something.” 

“You can’t do this Zoozoo.” 

He chuckled, “Ma I went to a party, no big deal.” 

“But you smell like pot.” 

“I didn’t smoke mom, I can’t smoke. You know that.” 

“You smell like booze.” 

“I only had one, I’m careful about that, I was driving.” 

“Good because you know your Tia-“ 

“I know. I only had one.” _Which is probably why the sex felt so awful. I should’ve done it drunk… but then what if he robbed me or worse…_ He put the drink down. “Dad awake?” 

“No, he’s snoring like a monster.” She smiles fondly. 

“Don’t know how you can stand it ma.” 

She looked off in the distance and sighed. “It is love mijo.” 

_Yeah love. Like that bullshit exists._ “I’m happy for you, I’m going to bed.” He dumped the beer, much to his mothers dismay, hugged her goodnight and went to his room. 

He threw his clothes into the hamper and laid down with a sigh. This sucked, everything was just the worst. He looked up at his ceiling fan and scratched at the hickey. If he could rip off the skin he would. He’d tear off his entire skin if he could, he’d just start anew and throw away the past. If only it were that easy to do all of that, to just throw everything away and start over. 

** ~*~*~ The Next Morning ~*~*~ **

Zack rolled his ring in his hand as he spoke with his old childhood friend Hannah.The two hadn’t talked since he announced his engagement 9 months ago. She was going on about her new work project and how she was always so busy. He just smiled and nodded with the occasional “Oh yeah?” and “Cool” here and there. Once she finally took a breath he finally got to at least say something meaningful. 

“Good, I’m happy for you.” 

“Thank you Zack! Soooo how’s the fiancé?” 

He hadn’t told her yet, “Fine.” 

“Just fine? Come on~ you’re getting married in six days!” 

He smiled bitterly. “Mmm.” He just wanted it to disappear. 

“You better put that back on or you’ll lose it, like you always do.” She laughed. 

“Yeah… Well you know, since you’re here,” he put her wedding gift on the table, “you can have this back.” 

Her smile immediately dropped. “What?” 

“Yeah, turns out my fiancé is doing really great screwing other people.” 

“Oh, Zack.” She grabbed his hand. “Oh… I’m so sorry I didn’t know… Where are you living now?” 

“My parents place.” 

“Oh no…” She shook her head. “Do you want to live with me? Terrance won’t mind.” 

“I’m fine Hannah. I’m just looking for jobs, your place hiring?” 

“What? No. But, don’t you have a-“ She gasped as he shook his head. 

“Fired. Yesterday.” 

“Zack… Oh my god I’m so sorry… Can’t you sue for something?” 

“No. I’m not going to sue.” He sighed. “I’m just going to move on.” He held the ring tighter. 

“Zack… Hey…” She suddenly gasped. “Hey!” 

“What?!” He looked around panicked. 

“My brother has a vacation home in South Korea.” 

“… _What_? Why there?” 

“What’s wrong with that?” She huffed. 

“Nothing, just… kinda weird is all. You never hear that, it’s always like Italy or Fiji or something.” 

“Well he does, because that’s where he met his wife. So they bought it.” 

“Okay so where are you going with this… No. Hannah no.” 

“Come onnn Zack!” She stomped her feet. “You can get away from the town and just have fun and do random things. I mean you speak the language so that’s no problem!” 

“I’m not going to do that. And I mean I do but still… I don’t want to go alone.” He had learned it since his father’s adopted sister was Korean. He used his knowledge of it to play games. 

“According to that mark on your neck you do.” 

He instantly covered it with his hand and blushed, he thought he’d hidden that with his scarf. 

“Zack, if you stay here it’s only going to get worse and worse. Take it from someone who knows what it’s like.” 

“Well… maybe I will.” He sighed. “I’ll have to think about it.” 

**~*~*~ 1 Month Later ~*~*~**

It wasn’t going well. He thought if he just faced life head on he’d be rewarded with perseverance. But then life’s a bitch so that didn’t happen. Rejection after rejection. No place would hire him, dating had went completely sour, and he ran into a problem with the wedding planner footing him with a steep bill. You-know-who was being a complete dick about the whole thing, it was like eight years of friendship and eight years of romance meant nothing. 

What had happened? 

He wondered if there was something wrong with him. _Maybe I’m annoying? Maybe I’m really bad in bed. Or a bad kisser. Or just an overall bad lover. Maybe it’s my body. I guess freckles look really ugly on a man. Or maybe it was all some sick prank._

He spent his nights complete awake and alone with his thoughts. When he wasn’t going to job interviews or failed dates, he was working around the house or driving for hours on end. But at night, he just laid there, body exhausted and feeling numb. He had seen his ex today, walking around laughing with his friends. 

_Did it really mean nothing? What the hell happened?_

He rolled his ring in his hand and felt his eyes water. He hadn’t let himself cry since all of this happened and he wasn’t going to. 

_Really, was everything for nothing?_

“Hey… Hannah?” He whispered into his phone. “Yeah… can I take that offer?” 

** ~*~*~ 20 Days Later ~*~*~  **

It was surreal to be here. 

Hannah’s brother’s wife had arranged for him to stay in their little vacation home while he tried to figure out what the hell to do. The home itself was very nice. It was located just on the outskirts of the city and had this nice quiet feeling surrounding it. Apparently the place was the wife’s grandparents and she couldn’t bare to sell it. Either way, the house was gorgeous. Zack felt weird about sleeping in other people’s beds so he decided for the three weeks he was there he’d camp out in the living room. Admittedly it was really comfy so he had no complaints. 

The neighbors were nice enough but he wasn’t one for strangers so he timed his leaving the house when everyone already headed off to work. Most of his time he just walked aimlessly, thinking or just enjoying the scenery. He even befriend the local street cat, a tabby with socks for feet, whom he affectionately called Butty, because he was his little buddy with a fluffy butt and Zack was an immature child. In his mind he was laughing. 

Along with the house, Zack was tasked with helping the old couple at a little bakery just on the border of the city. Since the couple had no children, there wasn’t anyone to help them run the shop, and these guys were… well _really_ old. He spent his time cleaning, putting up shelves, lifting all the heavy objects, and learning how to bake the perfect pie. Watching the old couple he couldn’t help but smile. They were so kind and patient with him when he didn’t quite understand. And they loved each other very much, “Going on fifty years.” They would tell him. 

The exercise was welcomed as well. He was starting to shape up just a bit, and with all his time spent outside he was feeling more rejuvenated than ever. He ran into town often to buy their supplies before coming back to hear stories of their youth and how they met. Some of the stories they had told him multiple times, but he still enjoyed them nonetheless. All that mattered was his mind was occupied with other things. 

Just as he thought things were starting to look pretty good, he got a call from Hannah who explained that the wife’s sister needed the place while her house was getting renovated.

“I’m so sorry Zack.” 

“Don’t be, you were doing me a favor. And that girl is family anyways.” 

“Well, what are you going to do?” 

“I’ll get a hotel. Simple.” 

“How are you going to pay for that?” 

He rolled his ring in his hand. “I’ll figure something out. Tell them I’ll be out by today.” 

This wasn’t going to work. Everything for him was a little too expensive. He paid for at least two nights and was now sitting on the floor of his hotel room trying to move money around. But nothing was completely adding up. Frustrated, he grabbed his phone and left for the bar. If anything, beer always made him feel better. 

The music was loud, the people were everywhere, and poor decisions were being made all around him. He was sitting in the far back drinking alone while watching whatever the hell was on TV. He wasn’t even processing it, he just watched the colors. Twice he had been asked if he wanted to ‘get out of here and go someplace fun’ but he curtly refused. He refused to have another one-nighter. He wasn’t against them, they just weren’t for him. 

Eventually a man walked up to him. Zack readied his _no_ as the man, or young man rather, sat down and ordered water of all things. The guy had dark brown hair and brown eyes. He looked rather sickly. For a long while they just drank in silence. This would be okay, but now he felt awkward. Suddenly, the man spoke. “Doesn’t life suck?” 

Zack took a long drink. “Yup.” 

“I was all ready to give up.” 

“Oh.” 

They drank simultaneously. The man continued. “You know, there’s this app called the RFA. It’s really hard to find for some reason but it’s a lot of fun.” 

“What’s it do?” 

“It’s just a chat app, like those chat roulette things. Except there’s no face cam or anything so nothing _disgusting_ will show.” This guy must really hate Omegle then. “You can find paradise in that chat though. People just talk and it really helps when you’re feeling down. It’s just… better than what’s out there now.” 

“That’s nice.” _Paradise? That’s rich._

“You should download it.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” 

“You look like you’ve been through a lot of pain.” He peered over at him. 

“Something like that.” He tapped his finger for another beer. This guy was still drinking water. 

The man leaned closer. “You know, I was like you once. Heartbroken and just going through life day by day. This world was so ugly that I just wondered how on earth was I going to get through this. Then my friend told me about the app-“ 

“Look man,” Zack looked at him dead in the eyes, “did you make the app or is it like a virus? Shut up about the app already.” 

“Hey, I’m just trying to help.” He put his hands up and shook his head. 

“Look, here, I’ll download right now if you just shut up.” Zack pulled out his phone. With a bit of digging he found the damn thing and, according to his virus protection, it was clean. He downloaded it and showed it to the guys face. “See? There! Now I have your stupid app.” He closed his phone and shoved it in his pocket. “Better?” 

“Trust me, you’ll be feeling better soon.” He got up and left. 

Zack rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Creep.” He mumbled and downed his drink. 

_** ~* ** _

Zack stumbled back into his hotel room at around 1 in the morning and collapsed onto his bed. He wasn’t drunk but he wasn’t sober either. His phone buzzed so harshly he nearly jumped out of his skin. All his notification said was “The RFA Is Calling.” _The what? What was the RFA?_ He unlocked his phone. 

> **Unknown:** …Hello…?
> 
> **User:** Hey?
> 
> **Unknown:** Can you see this?
> 
> **User:** Yes, I can.
> 
> **Unknown:** Finally connected. Thank god.  
>  **Unknown:** It’s not everyday you get a text from a stranger, right?  
>  **Unknown:** I’m a bit flustered myself. I found a smartphone at the subway station, but all it had was this messenger app  
>  **Unknown:** I want to find the owner but I don’t see any contact info or call records.  
>  **Unknown:** I’ve been spending messages with this app all day but no reply…  
>  **Unknown:** All I see is an address and some important looking numbers saved in notes.   
>  **Unknown:** I’d like to go there myself but I’m currently abroad.
> 
> **User:** Oh…well I guess you can ship it to the address then?
> 
> **Unknown:** Well I could but… do you mind going to the address?  
>  **Unknown:** That’s all that’s saved in the phone.  
>  **Unknown:** I know you’re surprised to have someone suddenly pop up and ask you for a favor like this…but still…

Something felt off. Why would this guy feel so worried about this stupid phone?

> **User:** Like I said man, just forward it to the address.  
>  **User:** I’m not falling for this trap. Go find some other sucker. 
> 
> **Unknown:** Normal people just don’t understand. Please? It’d really be a great help to me.  
>  **Unknown:** Though my word means nothing, I swear that I’m not trying to trick you.  
>  **Unknown:** just tell me to do something and I’ll prove that I mean no harm. 
> 
> **User:** Okay, take a picture of yourself with a spoon and salt packet or shaker on your head. 
> 
> **Unknown:** Okay! 

There it was, a guy with black hair and green eyes in some hotel in Italy or something, with a spoon and a bird salt shaker on his head. 

> **Unknown:** Tada! 
> 
> **User:** Fine. Give me the address.
> 
> **Unknown:** Really!?  
>  **Unknown** : Thank you!!! Here is the address! Text me when you get there.

Oh wait. He meant now? Zack sighed as he copied it and put it into Google maps. It wasn’t that far, in fact it looked like it was one of those fancy apartments near the small shopping center. He really had nothing better to do, and he was only buzzed so he felt alert enough in case anything happened. Still, he’d just take his pocket knife just in case. 

The apartment building was nice and rather ritzy. Only one thought was running through his mind. Why was there only this app on that phone? Was this a cult app? Was that even a thing? He was in front of the apartment door. “Hello?” He rang the doorbell and knocked twice. “Sorry to bother you but I know I guy who found a phone?” There was silence. He tried again a few more times. 

_Bzzt Bzzt._

Zack looked to see that unknown guy texted him again

> **Unknown:** Are you there yet?
> 
> **User:** Yeah, no one’s answering the door. Tight security too.  
>      **User:** They have a keypad on the door.
> 
> **Unknown:** Maybe those numbers in the notes? Type in this:  
>  **Unknown:** 59486

Zack did so and the door opened. “Hello? Don’t call the cops. I’m just trying to return a phone.”

>     **User:** Door’s open but I don’t think anyone is here
> 
> **Unknown:** That’s okay. Just go in and leave a note. They can contact me here.  
>  **Unknown:** 555-2323
> 
>     **User:** Sure thing

Zack didn’t have anything to write with on him. He peeked into the apartment and saw a desk. Quickly he walked in, grabbed the supplies and began writing. This was so weird and wrong, he felt like was breaking into someone’s home right now. Why did he do this again? 

> **Unknown:** Have fun. ^^

His phone vibrated and suddenly Zack was in a chatroom with five other people. They were chatting casually unaware that he had just suddenly popped in. Zack stood there with the door to the apartment open as he read the messages. Some college kid with the ID Yoosung had failed his midterms and apparently the reason behind it was because he played video games too much. Zack guessed some businessman was warning him to keep his grades up if he wanted to intern at his company while a man named ZEN argued that that was nepotism. It was kind of interesting to read through these people’s private chats, but he felt like he was just committing more crimes. Just as he was about to leave, 

> **707:** HACKER!
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Hacker!? There’s a hacker in over room!!  
>  **Yoosung** **★** : Sevnee do somethign!!

Zack felt his blood run cold. This was apparently a private app made only for their group and no one else. If it was…then why was it even in the store? Zack wasn’t exactly tech savvy when it came to phones but even he knew that much. So then how did that guy at the bar and the guy who led him here have the app?  

>     **User:** Hey, I don’t mean any harm. I was just doing a stranger a solid. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Gahhh it’s talking!!
> 
> **ZEN:** So it’s not two smartphones.

Zack continued to read as he inched his way to the door. He felt like he was about to get caught for something and would be framed for one big whole misunderstanding. The last thing he needed was to get arrested. The 707 guy traced the IP back to “Rika’s” apartment. So he was in some girls house? Well now he was in even bigger trouble.

Zack looked around. It wasn’t exactly female oriented in here. It was almost like a business persons dream home. A bed, a bathroom, a desk with a nice high tech computer, file cabinets. It was a workplace at home. _Never escape from work huh?_ Zack looked back at the screen. 

> **Jumin Han:** How did you even get into here?
> 
>     **User:** I was at a bar when this guy came up to me talking about how amazing the RFA app was. He said he used it often when he was feeling down.  
>  **User:** He wouldn’t shut up about it so I downloaded it so he’d go away and stop harassing me.  
>  **User:** Then I just ignored it and forgot about it.  
>  **User:** Then someone by the username Unknown told me he found a phone and the only thing on it was the address to this apartment, the code to the door, and the app.  
>  **User:** He was pretty insistent about me coming here  
>  **User:** So I guess, under my better judgment, I’m here now
> 
> **ZEN:** That’s weird. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** This person knew about the RFA and our app? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** That’s very irresponsible and dangerous following some strangers directions.
> 
>     **User:** Did I mention I just came from the bar? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Seven, who is this person!? 
> 
> **707:** Checking  
>  **707** : inonyou  
>  **707:** callingVrightnowholdon
> 
>     **User:** Check then. I swear I’m not an intruder. I don’t know why I did this I just did. 

Honestly, he felt really stupid. 

> **707:** phonesstillringing  
>  **707:** Doesn’t look like a bad person. 
> 
> **ZEN:** It’s not fair that you get to see her.

_Her_ was pretty presumptuous. 

> **707:** Ya  
>  **707:** Watchin’ him on the CCTV
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Is he doing anything suspicious?
> 
> **ZEN:** Wait…
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** …
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** So the hacker is a man?
> 
> **User:** Not a hacker
> 
> **ZEN:** WHAT?! 
> 
> **User:** Don’t get mad at me, you assumed that on your own. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** LOLOLOLOL ZEN  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** LOLOLOLOL  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Desperate much? 
> 
> **Jumin Han >:** LOLOL
> 
> **ZEN:** Jumin shut up…

He couldn’t help but smirk as he glanced over his phone looking for the video cameras that were watching his every move. One…two…three cameras. This was creepy. He was already back in the hallway as he read through the whole thing. 

> **Jaehee Kang:** How did you find the app? 
> 
> **User:** Honestly it was hell to find, but after clicking around you just kinda find it in the app store. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Do you always just download random apps?
> 
> **User:** as I said, the person wouldn’t leave me alone. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** What did the person look like? 
> 
> **User:** Brown eyes, brown hair. Spoke in monotone. He really didn’t have any noticeable features. The Unknown person sent me a picture of himself. Black hair, young, green eyes. That’s it. 
> 
> **707:** Hey mystery man, don’t leave yet. Look at the camera near the computer and wave. 

Zack swallowed.  

> **User:** You guys aren’t running some weird illegal camsite are you?  
>  **User:** Am I about to get drugged? And then forced to do things that would make my mother cry? 
> 
> **707:** LOLOLOL no! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** So it is a man
> 
> **707:** Ya
> 
> **ZEN:** You have pictures right? Show us.
> 
> **707:** No way~  
>  **707:** How rude violating someones privacy.

707 posted a picture of a guy with short brown hair and purple eyes wearing a tuxedo.

> **Zen:** The hell? is that him? He’s young!
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** You’re younger than I thought.
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** ….seriously guys???  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** That’s me before I dyed my hair!!!
> 
> **707:** LOLOLOL
> 
> **Jaehee Kang >: **Sorry Yoosung. I had forgotten your hair used to be brown. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** T_T 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** What is your name? Why are you hiding it?
> 
> **User:** Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be secretive. It’s Zack
> 
> V has entered the chatroom
> 
> **707:** Boo! Now your cover is blown. 
> 
> **User:** Seeing as I did’t provide my whole name, I’m still the ‘mystery man’ 
> 
> **707:** Don’t tell a hacker that~ I’ll want to uncover them.
> 
> **User:** I have nothing to hide
> 
> **707:** LOLOLOL Challenge accepted!!!  
>  **707:** Going through your recent search history! 
> 
> **User:** No. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Uh oh… Seven has a new play thing. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Enough. When is V coming here? 
> 
> **V:** I’m already here. 

There was a collective messages of saying how much they missed him and how they hadn’t seen him in such a long time. There was one thing that seemed to stand out to Zack about V (excluding his hair color). He was so calm compared to the others. Zack was told that chatroom was meant for the RFA members, or Rika’s Fundraising  Association,and that where he was, was top secret. Only Seven, or his second name Luciel, and V himself knew of the address. And now Zack and that Unknown person and maybe even the dude who forced him into all of this knew about it. It also seemed that V was involved with Rika and she had passed away two years ago from suicide. 

V stressed over and over again not to ask him about the apartment and the secrets it protected. It was guessed that the Unknown person might have been someone Rika knew. But if she knew him and no else did, not even V who was her fiancee, then didn’t that make this even more odd? Everyone else seemed shocked too. Yoosung seemed even more agitated then the rest about that fact. 

This organization was a charity fundraising project that regularly hosted parties. As to what they were trying to help fund, Zack didn’t know. It was very vague. But, just this banter between these people was something of a refreshing breath of air. It turned out the “lost phone” ordeal was just a ruse to get Zack here. He guessed that this hacker and the guy at the bar was hoping some plebeian would blindly enter a house and totally get caught in all this. 

Luckily for the hacker, Zack was stupid enough to do it. But then… what was the prank? These people seemed genuine so why trick some shmuck to enter their group? 

> **Jaehee Kang:** We’re all just assuming what Zack said is true. For all we known he could be playing us. He could’ve made the whole thing up. 
> 
> **V:** If Zack turns out to be lying we can deal with that later.   
>  **V:** But right now I believe we should take this as a sign.   
>  **V:** I think Rika wanted us to meet Zack. Maybe he has what it takes to have the parties again. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** If that’s what you believe then I’ll stand by you. 
> 
> **ZEN:** This is all so weird but…I’ll back you up too V. 
> 
> **V:** Thank you all.   
>  **V:** I’m sorry but I have to go. Please answer any more of Zack’s questions. 
> 
> V has left the chatroom

So now it was his decision. He could just delete the app and go on with his vacation or he could help them run a charity. If he said yes they’d let him stay in this apartment for free. Sure he was constantly being monitored but… it’d be free. All he had to do was answer random emails right? He could answer emails easily, no big deal. 707 said he was running tests on his phone and commented on how empty it was. Zack explained that his phone was relatively new. 

He looked down at his ring finger and sighed. He could just leave this and go back to his own life. He could continue to lay there in bed replaying those years in his head, or he could actually try to help people in need. 

> **Jumin Han:** So Zack. Will you join the RFA?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I edit these damn things I have to fix the spacing on the block quotes. Very annoying.


	2. Day 1 Morning: Let's Forget

So it had been decided, Zack would help them throw some random party and in return he gets to spend the rest of his vacation at that apartment. He spent the rest of the night there cleaning up and subtly snooping for anything suspicious. It took the members a good three hours to convince him that they weren’t going to murder or force him into anything shady. Once he was convinced, he started pulling the bed sheets off and washing everything. 

Here or not, he felt that it was bad luck to sleep on a bed where a woman, and a dead one at that, once slept. The thought of her ghost haunting him was terrifying. He wasn’t superstitious but still… no bad karma for him, he already had enough. By seven in the morning he was back at the hotel. He grabbed his things and checked out early earning him a small deposit back, but it was money nonetheless.

Having stayed up for a whole night—gladly actually it was nice not to dream right now—he collapsed onto the bare bed and sighed. He washed the bed sheets but now he didn’t want to even put them on. This whole thing was a mess. His phone buzzed, 

> **707:** Welcome back! 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks 

he had received a private chat from 707, actually he’ll just call him Seven. He got up with a grunt and looked into the fridge. It had that _fridge_ smell and was empty.

> **Zack:** Can I order food? 
> 
> **707:** yup yup! Just have them send it to the lobby
> 
> **Zack:** Right 

He clicked into chatroom and saw Yoosung was there, right the college boy. It had only been a year since he graduated but it all felt like a blur. 

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Hey! Zack! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yoosung, hi.   
>  **Zack:** How’s your college life 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** It’s  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** It’s going.   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** While you were gone, ZEN was complaining about being single again  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Meanwhile I’ve never dated anyone before T_T 
> 
> **Zack:** Oh yeah? You’re not missing out. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** You’ve dated before? 
> 
> **Zack:** Only one person  
>  **Zack:** Let’s change the subject 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I’m probably the only one who’s never been in a relationship! 

He posts those custom emojis of their chibi selves. It’s the crying one. 

> **Zack:** That emoji  
>  **Zack:** Sounds like I’m watching something adult. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:**???   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Seven took that sound bite from when I was complaining to him one day 
> 
> **Zack:** Is _that_ what you were doing? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Hey! Maybe you can’t tell us the apartment but we should go out for lunch one day! 
> 
> **Zack:** Where are you at? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Sky Uni 

He looked it up. 

> **Zack:** Well okay, but it’s two towns over. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Aw man… that far? 
> 
> **Zack:** Well if that party is a go, then we’ll meet then. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Okay! 
> 
> **Zack:** cool cool 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yeah! Haha this is so refreshing   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Oh look at my breakfast 
> 
> **Zack:** Come here and cook me food.  
>  **Zack:** Also pay for my groceries. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Lolol, you should go eat! It’s important! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, I will  
>  **Zack:** I better do that now, I’m getting lightheaded   
>  **Zack:** Have a good day. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** You too!! 

Zack has left the chatroom

He looked at the time and sighed, he needed to get to the bakery. Luckily they always gave him a nice meal. Zack quickly got dressed into something more athletic, he was going to fix their sign today. 

> **707:** going to work out? Ooo lala~ 
> 
> **Zack:** You’re really watching me eh?   
>  **Zack:** Lucky you, free show. 
> 
> **707:** lolol! 

All of this, this banter, this friendship, getting ready to go to work, it felt nice. It felt free. He remembered, You-Know-Who would always hound him on where he was going, who he would be with, when he’d be back. Where did that bastard get off watching him like a dog? Zack paused. _Oh my god… That bastard!_

It hit him. All those damn questions. All the fake caring that he made _look_ as if it was overbearing and worried, all the pretend jealousy, that…that… “Prick!!” He kicked open the door to the apartment. 

_Then how long!? How long have you been cheating on me!?_

He was ready to fix that study sign. He could smash in the nails with his damn fist he was so mad. “Then what was real? How big of an idiot am I? I didn’t _even_ notice…” He wanted to cry. But he refused. He _won’t_ cry over that bastard. 

~* 

“Rein, do you want more pudding?” Mrs. Yi looked up as he lifted the sign. He hadn’t been there for even thirty minutes and he was sweating like crazy. But it felt nice. It was like his old self was melting off of him. 

“No thank you.” He smiled as he wiped off the sweat. “If I can just have some water.” 

“Okay! I’ll make you a sandwich too.” 

He didn’t want her too, she was so old he just wanted her to sit and rest and watch some show with her husband. Let them be happy. 

After another thirty minutes he climbed down the ladder and moved to the small alleyway where his breakfast was covered and waiting. A nice egg sandwich, orange juice, and water. They were too kind. 

A soft mewl came from behind a bush. “Hey Butty, want some water? Food?” The orange tabby crawled out and rubbed on his legs. “Hey, hey, I’m wearing shorts. You’re going to make me itch.” He gave the cat a quick pet before putting down a little bit of cheese. Normally when he ate he would just listen to music and watch Butty. Now he couldn’t help but look at his phone to see if there was anyone on the chat. 

What could he say? It was fun talking to them. And if they were going to work together for this party, he might as well get to know them. 

He wiped the sweat off his neck and looked at the snack the Misses left out. Honey Buddah Chips? That’s a new one. 

> **Zack:** Hello
> 
> **ZEN:** Hey! Mystery man what’s up? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Hello. 
> 
> **ZEN:** So lame, give a better response. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’m just being polite. 
> 
> **Zack:** So, what does everyone do in this organization?
> 
> **ZEN:** Well Yoosung is a college student as you know, I’m a model/actor, Seven’s a hacker but none of us know _what_ he’s actually doing, and Jaehee is an assistant to the biggest jerk in the world aka, Jumin. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I don’t agree with that statement. Jaehee works for me, yes, but she and my employees are satisfied with the work I provide them. 
> 
> **Zack:** And that work is…? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I am the next-in-line CEO for C &R International
> 
> **Zack:** And that is…? 
> 
> **ZEN:** LOLOLOL   
>  **ZEN:** Not so fantastical are you Jumin?
> 
> **Jumin Han** : Zack is not from here, it is not a surprise that he doesn’t know.   
>  **Jumin Han:** It is the corporation that I run
> 
> **Zack:** And you provide…? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** We focus on exports mainly. We dabble in many fields. 
> 
> **Zack** : I looked it up so I believe you,   
>  **Zack:** But that was extremely vague and fake sounding. 
> 
> **ZEN:** LOLOLOL
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Perhaps I did not explain well enough. 
> 
> **ZEN:** So what do you do Zack? 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m unemployed. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh? Then why are you here? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Are you traveling the world? 
> 
> **Zack:** Wouldn’t that be nice?  
>  **Zack:** No, I’m just going through some things.   
>  **Zack:** I mean right now I’m working for this little bakery. This old couple runs it, and I’m helping them out for free.   
>  Zack: For a friends brothers wife. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh! What’s the bakery called? 
> 
> **Zack:** I think it says “Pure Joy” 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Pure Joy… I know that name. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s really good. It’s this tiny shop and I am in love with it.   
>  **Zack:** They’ve been teaching me how to bake   
>  **Zack:** and how to bake pastries  
>  Zack: Bazinga 420
> 
> **ZEN:** Wow, your jokes are just as bad as Jumin’s and Seven’s combined. 
> 
> **Zack:** So in other words  
>  **Zack:** They’re the funniest people here?
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Correct. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Are you working now? 
> 
> **Zack:** Breakfast break.   
>  **Zack:** Then after I do the outside work I’ll go inside and help them with any chores until the real part-timer gets here.   
>  **Z** ack: My grandparents aren’t here anymore. I just feel like helping them with everything. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** That is very kind. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well aren’t you the ladies man
> 
> **Jumin Han:** The only lady I need in my life is my Elizabeth 3rd
> 
> **Zack:** Oh is that your wife or something? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Emphasis on the _or something_.   
>  **ZEN:** God… 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Since you haven’t been introduced. 

He posts a picture of a pretty white cat with blue eyes. “Hey Butty, look at this.” He showed the tabby the picture. “You like?” He smiled before looking back. “She’s out of your league bro. She’s a princess and you’re a pauper.” 

> **ZEN:** Oh brother… 
> 
> **Zack:** She’s very pretty. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’m glad someone here thinks so.   
>  **Jumin Han:** You must be a good person
> 
> **ZEN:** The ‘helping out the elderly’ doesn’t make him good? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I believe that a person who likes animals must be very kind hearted. 
> 
> **ZEN:** You believe anything as long as you say it. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Well of course, I know many things. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Don’t be so pompous! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Aren’t cats the best? 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m sitting with one right now. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Are you? What is it doing? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh boy… here we go. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s a stray tabby cat and it’s eating the cheese I left out for it. Now it’s just laying down cleaning its face. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You should adopt the cat.  ฅ( ͒ᵕ̳ωᵕ̳ ͒)。o○
> 
> **Zack:** Well, I’m allergic. 
> 
> **ZEN:** You too!?   
>  **ZEN:** I’m highly allergic myself! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Your tabby cat could greet you off with a loving soul like my Elizabeth 3rd does to me. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Loving soul… really?   
>  **ZEN:** You make your maids see you off all the time. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes but only Elizabeth 3rd does it with love
> 
> **ZEN:** If you treated all your employees better, you’d be greeted with _loving souls_ every morning. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** There is a difference between a loving relationship and a business relationship. They should be happy enough that I provide them the check. 
> 
> **ZEN:** That depends on the person.   
>  **ZEN:** Right Zack? 
> 
> **Zack:** All relationships suck. I’ll take friendships and the cat any day
> 
> **ZEN:** Uh oh
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You see? there is no point in giving love to people that do not want or appreciate it. 
> 
> **Zack:** Let’s change the subject 

He rubbed his ring harshly. 

> **ZEN:** Ouch, is there anything you want to talk about? 
> 
> **Zack:** Nope. 
> 
> **Zack:** So, ZEN, you model? That’s cool. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah  
>  **ZEN:** yeah! I do here and there  
>  **ZEN:** right now I’m doing a play  
>  **ZEN:** The director is really nice to us and he’s buying us food and stays late to encourage us  
>  **ZEN:** So I feel like I’m really giving it my all.   
>  **ZEN:** Once I worked with someone who only did what was needed to get the paycheck.   
>  **ZEN:** And that was the result of our work. Just enough to get the bare minimum. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** That’s a good example  
>  **Jumin Han:** Though it isn’t my style to shower my employees with my presence, I acknowledge that each person is different. 
> 
> **ZEN:** I’ve seen videos of people who work for you. They’re always crying and sobbing that working for C&R is like being a slave. But I dunno if it’s true. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** They should be honored. It was probably tears of joy
> 
> **Zack:** I’m not sure how to take any of this. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah, let’s change the subject again. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, let’s talk more about cats. 
> 
> **ZEN:** No
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You must love cats, Zack 
> 
> **Zack:** I love all fluffy animals. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I knew V would not choose a fool.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Fluffy fur, cute and pink paws..  
>  **Jumin Han:** Affectionate   
>  **Jumin Han:** They are the perfect pet. 
> 
> **ZEN** : I’d rather have a dog 
> 
> **Zack:** I have a dog back home  
>  **Zack:** My parents are allergic to cats too. So I can’t say which I prefer. I gravitate towards whatever will love me most
> 
> **ZEN:** lolol!   
>  **ZEN:** But dogs are loyal and so innocent it swells your heart.   
>  **ZEN:** Unlike humans
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Ha. 
> 
> **ZEN:** For example ^ 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I am not a dog, so I don’t need those qualities  
>  **Jumin Han:** Cats are perfect. ฅ( ͒ᵕ̳ωᵕ̳ ͒)。o○
> 
> **ZEN:** Ugh  
>  **ZEN:** Just marry the damn thing
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I don’t care what other people think, Elizabeth 3rd’s love is all I need. 
> 
> **Zack:** As long as it’s not weird. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh it’s weird  
>  **ZEN:** I bet she sleeps all close to you on your bed.   
>  **ZEN:** I can’t even begin to imagine all the fur
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Please stop thinking about my bed
> 
> **ZEN:** Go away. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** If your body wasn’t so sensitive, you’d be able to experience the joys of having a cat. But, alas, you’ll forever be deprived. How tragic. I would weep for you if it wasn’t a waste of time.
> 
> **ZEN:** Don’t care
> 
> **Zack:** Wow, you must know a lot about his sensitive body
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh my god… 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Hmm, I guess I walked into that one. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Ugh, I’m going to leave now. I have fan letters to read and lines to practice   
>  **ZEN:** Bye. 
> 
> **Zack:** Have a nice day.
> 
> **ZEN:** You too ^_^ 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’m leaving first.   
>  **Jumin Han** : Adios 
> 
> Jumin Han has left the chatroom 
> 
> **Zack:** Jumin | 1 / ZEN | 0 
> 
> **ZEN:** What!?   
>  **ZEN:** I’ll win next time then! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Bye! 
> 
> ZEN has left the chatroom. 

~* 

“Like this?” Zack kneaded the dough. 

“Exactly!” Mr. Yi said as he sprinkled in cinnamon “Very good. You have a natural talent.” 

“I used to bake with my grandma all the time.” He bit back the laugh of his previous joke. “Empanadas, cakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies, sopaipillas, breads, et cetera and et cetera.” He had to stop himself from rambling. 

Mrs. Yi walked in. “Oh Rein, I put your ring on that plate over there.” 

Zack sighed. “Thanks.” 

“Your wife is very lucky.” She grinned. 

Zack smiled. “Y-yeah…” 

“What’s she like?” The husband examined the ring. 

“ _She’s_ uhm…” He gave a soft chuckle. “Funny. Gosh he-she!- is so funny. And when times were hard we’d just listen to each other. We even mapped out our life; where we wanted to travel, our house, all that couple-y stuff. We had known each other since I was, like, seven. We were the best of friends and then that friendship blossomed.” He looked out the window. “It was… the happiest day of my life, when I confessed and received a yes in return. It was like… like all this pain that was inside of me just vanished. Like I was finally shedding a mask that I had worn for so long. One that I wore to seem like I was okay being… alone. I just… I was so happy, even when times were bad, I knew we loved each other…” He looked at the ring. “I thought we did…” He whispered. 

“How lovely!” 

“Yeah…” He bit his lip. “I uhm… I need to sneeze. I’ll be right back.” He quickly ran off towards the bathroom and carefully closed the door. He gripped the sink and trembled. “Stay calm… Dammit.” His eyes burned, begging to just let him feel the pain of the breakup, but he suppressed it. There was no need for that emotion. He sucked in air sharply and pressed his forehead to the mirror. “Come on… come on…” He just had to do what he used to… He dug his nails into his palm and focused on something else… _The RFA think about the RFA. Yeah… just laugh with them and all that_. 

He let out a choked exhale and washed his hands before coming back. “Ah sorry, I was around that tabby so…” 

“Oh, would you like that allergen tea?” Mrs. Yi said as she made pastries for tomorrow. 

“No thank you. I’ll be fine.” 

“What’s the engraving say here?” Mr. Yi held up the ring. 

Zack smiled sadly. “To…” He breathed out sharply. “To the person who brings my life light.” He looked away. 

“It’s a gorgeous ring.” 

“Yeah…” He nodded as he put it back on. “I can’t… even begin to think about parting with it.” 

“Well I certainly would hope not.” 

He laughed stiffly. “Do you want me to help you with anything else?” 

“Oh please, sit down and have some cakes! Rest for awhile you did a lot outside.” 

Zack mumbled a thanks and sat down. “Just tell me if you need anything. Hey, when’s your part timer coming in?” 

“Very soon.” 

That guy was such a flake. If he didn’t come, Zack would stay the whole day and do his job for him. He scoffed as he opened his phone. 

> **Zack:** Well well, 707 and Jumin. 
> 
> **707:** Well well! The infamous mystery man! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Are you with the tabby? 
> 
> **Zack:** No, it went off to go sleep
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I see, do take care of it. 
> 
> **707:** what’s it’s name!? 

He was too embarrassed to say. 

> **Zack:** I haven’t quite named it. I suck at names. 
> 
> **707:** Ooo! I wish I could get your phone to send pictures of the cat. For some reason I can’t break that block. It’s weird. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** We shall have to name it very soon. 
> 
> **707:** Let’s see… Blaze! Burny!  
>  **707:** Uhm… hmmmmmm 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Perhaps more thought will be needed.   
>  **Jumin Han:** For now I will think about it while I wait for my driver. 
> 
> **707:** Lol so you still haven’t gone into work?   
>  **707:** Take the subway 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I don’t know where that is nor do I have cash. 
> 
> **707:** Lol figures
> 
> **Zack:** Do you drive? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I am doing the country service by not driving. 
> 
> **707:** LOLOL, true   
>  **707:** I’ll tell you where it is if you send me a picture of Elly 

He does so. 

> **Jumin Han:** Regardless, I’ll share her beauty.   
>  **Jumin Han:** It worries me that others don’t know the beauty of cats in the world  
>  **Jumin Han:** I should propose more cat projects
> 
> **707:** lmfao, cat mom
> 
> **Jumin Han:** No
> 
> **Zack:** Then…   
>  **Zack:** Cat daddy? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Perhaps   
>  **Jumin Han:** No.   
>  **Jumin Han:** My name will suffice. 
> 
> **707:** Trust fund baby cat  
>  **707:** Baby catman   
>  **707:** Catman  
>  **707:** Father Cat  
>  **707:** Cather! 
> 
> **Zack:** That sounds like catheter
> 
> **707:** ooo yeah no… Abandon ship. 
> 
> **Jumin Han: Call me by my name.  
>  Jumin Han:** Oh yes, 707,   
>  **Jumin Han:** This is now your chance to use your corrupt money for good.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Donate some cat food. 
> 
> **707:** that means you’ll let me play with Elly right!? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** No.   
>  **Jumin Han:** even if I had a gun pointed to my face. No. 
> 
> **707:** Can I just come over then?  **\\(** **★** **ω** **★** **)/  
>  707** : I wanna play with all your game systems too! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I did not buy those for _you_ to play with.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Never come over.   
>  **Jumin Han:** DO NOT COME OVER  
>  **Jumin Han:** I have footage of you biting Elizabeth 3rd neck. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s getting a little ridiculous with the cats guys… 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I will have security stop you. 
> 
> **707:** Then I’ll become friends with the security guards! 
> 
> **Zack:** Who can resist your charm? 
> 
> **707:** Exactly.   
>  **707:** No one. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** the both of you are dangerous.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Facing off 707’s skills will be quite the feat for my team. 
> 
> **Zack:** Wow, you’re really something huh? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** His skills are one sided but brilliant 
> 
> **707:** There r a lot of ppl who can make waaaay more $$$ than me 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Your cars are more expensive than mine. 
> 
> **707:** That’s because I’m not worried what people will think about my babies.   
>  **707** : You have your car through the, I get mine through part time jobs. 
> 
> **Zack:** That’s some part time job. 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : The world is becoming a better place if you can by those cars with part-time. 
> 
> **707:** And it will be even better when we host parties again.   
>  **707:** All this love inside of me wants to BURST! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Your love is sadism. 
> 
> **707:** What? **\\(** **★** **ω** **★** **)/**
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You know what I’m referring too.   
>  **Jumin Han:** And with that, don’t ever come near Elizabeth again.   
>  **Jumin Han:** You are dangerous. 
> 
> **707:** Awww… 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** All your secrets give me goosebumps. 
> 
> **707:** I’m the secret keeper.   
>  **707:** For example I hold all the secrets on Zack. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Such as?   
>  **Zack:** Such as? 
> 
> **707:** Lololol not telling! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Is this funny to you? 
> 
> **707:** Ya pretty much. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** People with secrets are dangerous. 
> 
> **Zack:** We sure are talking about secrets a lot. 
> 
> **707:** Come on! Let’s all group hug! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** No thank you, I’m heading off to work 
> 
> **707:** Don’t leave me hanging… 
> 
> **Zack:** *hug* 
> 
> **707:** Muuuuch better! Now Jumin! 
> 
> Jumin Han has left the chatroom 
> 
> **Zack:** No cat daddy hugs for you 
> 
> **707:** Boo!!   
>  **707:** I am the affectionate master! 
> 
> **Zack:** I bet. 
> 
> **707:** yup!   
>  **707:** i better skedaddle!   
>  **707:** Laterz! 
> 
> **Zack:** bye bye 

~* 

The part-timer never came. What a jerk. Zack spent the rest of the day putting pastries in paper bags, warming up coffee and tea, and serving the regulars. He liked it, this whole restaurant thing. He always dreamed of owning a little cafe and now he got to work in one. It was comforting. 

After a while the couple closed the shop and went to go rest. Zack cleaned up the kitchen and locked up for them before heading to the store. He wasn’t ready to go home just yet, besides he didn’t have food anyways. As he walked down the road he rolled his ring in his hand and hummed quietly. He focused only on nature, nothing else. Before he could even lecture himself, as he did often, his phone rang. 

“Yeah-lo?” 

“Hello? This is Jaehee Kang.” _Woah what a voice._

“…Oh! You’re in the RFA.” 

“That’s correct. We have only talked once, I believe.” 

“Yeah… Um so what’d you call for?”

“I wish to properly introduce myself. Ah, Seven told me your phone number by the way.” She cleared her throat. “My name is Jaehee Kang, I am the assistant to Jumin Han of C&R.” 

“Hello, Ms. Kang, it’s nice to meet- whoah!” He tripped over a rock. “Saved it. Saved it. Haha I’m not dead.” He steadied himself. “Ahem, it’s nice to meet you too.” 

“Are you alright Mr. Rein?” 

“Just a klutz.” 

“Oh, please be careful.” _Very practical._ “I have seen that you were talking about cats with Mr. Han.” 

“Oh yeah, he sure loves cats.” He chuckled. 

“Please, if you can, _please_ don’t encourage him on his cat projects.” Her voice went dark. 

Zack burst out laughing. “C-cat projects? He was serious?!” 

“He is always serious. I am swamped with work and I prefer to focus on what’s important and _not_ on those silly projects. I don’t want anything to do with cats or dogs or _any_ animal.” 

He snorted. “Yikes, you’ve got it… ruff…” He tried not to laugh.

“Correct,” _Oh thank god, she didn’t notice,_ “anyways, aren’t you a bit startled to be joining the RFA?” 

“I’m more confused than anything. I feel like I stumbled into a random meeting and then lied my way through the whole thing and now I’m working a major project that I don’t even know how to do.” 

“I understand how you feel. I entered last year and felt out of my element. But everyone is very kind and they make you feel welcomed instantly.” 

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. It’s really great actually.” 

“That being said, I do hope that Luciel’s background check turns up only positive results. It is very strange that you just suddenly showed up. And even stranger, we’ve known Rika for a long time, yet you’re living in her apartment, a place we know nothing about.” She takes a quick breath. “I do hope that we can host a party. Do you?” 

“I’d like to see what this RFA is all about honestly. But what exactly am I doing? Just luring people in right?” 

“I wouldn’t say lure. You can decide what kind of guests you want at the party. People will mingle, businesses will makes deals, and all the funds go to what we are, well, funding.” 

“Is the funding choice random?” 

“Yes, we all vote on a charity.” 

“I see. So how do you get them to donate? Or do they do it because it’ll make them look good?” 

“Well it may be because of that, but we also do auctions and the money goes to the charity. The highlight of those auctions is V’s photographs.” 

“Ah, yes, V. The president, correct?” 

“Yes.” 

“So I take it he’s good at photography?” 

“Yes, his photos are quite amazing. After Rika’s death he hasn’t been involved much, but perhaps that will change now with you here. Perhaps he’ll come back more. Much too Yoosung’s dismay…” He barely caught that last sentence. 

“Yoosung? Oh does he not like V?” 

“It’s… very complicated. And it’s not my place to say.” 

He switched ears as he felt the sweat accumulating under his skin. “Okay, no worries.” 

“I wish I could talk more to answer you questions, but I must get back to work.” 

“Right. Thanks, that was very helpful.” 

“You’re very welcome!” _Heh. She reminds me of my niece._ “Then, goodbye.” 

“Goodbye.” 

This whole thing was so strange. But, if he was good at anything, it was blindly stumbling his way through things and somehow managing to make it look awesome. 

In the store he grabbed only two things, T.V. dinners and beer. Right now he couldn’t care less about what he was eating. As long as it fed him then it was doing its job. He reached out for his new favorite brand of liquor. 

“Oops sorry!” He knocked hands with someone else. He glanced to see a woman with long crimson hair. “Heheh, sorry, you were reaching it first.” She said with a smile. 

“Oh, no you can take it.” 

She smiled superficially “Please I insist.” 

“Then…” He took the box. “I’ll take half and give you the rest. Deal?” 

“Oh! Sure, deal!” She smiled. She smelled like vanilla. “You like this brand too?” 

“It’s light enough that I can drink a lot of it.” 

She laughed, she had a nice laugh. “Me too! That’s why I like it. Soon I have to get off this brand.” 

“It’s addicting.” 

They bantered with each other casually. This woman was tall, taller than him at least, and he was the average height of an American woman 5’4” or 162 cm. So… take that as you will. She was like model. The only thing that annoyed him was that she was a major phony. The only time she seemed genuine was when she talked about the beer. 

She laughed as they walked out the store. “What’s your name?” She smiled. 

“Zachary. You?” 

“Sarah.” He used his pocket knife to cut down the middle of the pack and handed it to her. “Oh thank you!” 

“No worries.” 

“It’s early… but would you like to have one drink?” 

“Sure.” They found a little area and sat down. _What is happening right now?_ “So, Sarah, no offense but you’re really classy for a small convenience store.” He opened the beers.

She laughed, forcefully. _Geez, how many masks do you have on lady?_ “Well you can’t find that brand in any glitzy place. And besides, no matter how much money you throw at those export beers nothing tastes like this.” _I can’t get a read on this woman._ “Tomorrow, I’ll have to kiss these babies goodbye.” 

“Umm… why? If you don’t mind my asking.” 

“Let’s just say, my life is going to change for the better.” 

“Okay, I’ll drink to that. Too a better life.” 

“Here here!” _This is so weird. Why am I just randomly drinking with this woman?_

“Salud.” 

After talking for a good hour, which was hard to do as she was desperately trying to seem interesting, they parted ways. Sarah told him to look for her name in the tabloids in the coming future. 

“Okay!” He waved. “… That was weird.” He shrugged it off. Sarah huh? Well, he’ll look out for her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S-s-s-s-sarah! Why!?   
> I had to look up her name, i had totally forgotten who she was.   
> Also Zack may seem short but... I like the height difference for them, aight? Aight. I mean it's not *that* short. It's not like I'm trying to convince you that this height is awesome because I'm that height...
> 
> LIKE COMMENT SUBSCRIBE BOOKMARK TELL YOUR FRIENDS MAKE THEM READ IT! 
> 
>  
> 
> juuuust kiiiiddiiing


	3. Day 1 Evening: It's Hard to Hate

The day was proving to be quite the ride. Taking to strangers on the phone, drinking with some random woman because he reached for the same beer, being monitored while he found the perfect private space to change; this was going to be his life now for the next two weeks. He was enjoying it so far, but damn was all this spontaneity exhausting. 

He walked back into the apartment and automatically took off his shirt. He mumbled to himself as he put his groceries and bag of Honey Buddah Chips on the table. As soon as he put them down his phone rang. 

“Hello?” 

“This is Seven-Zero-Seven!!” _Well the voice certainly matches the face._ “Welcome back!” 

“Heya, thanks.” He scratched at his neck. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to talk to him but he really wanted to shower. “What’s up?” 

“Well well! I see you’re holding the holy grail.” 

He looked around. “You mean… the chips?” 

“Exactly. Do you know what you’ve let fall into your lap?” He lowered his voice to something like a growl. “Honey. Buddah. Chips.” 

Zack smirked and looked at the bag again. “It seems I’ve been blessed.” 

“Yes, by me. I fated this to happen.” 

“Heh, okay so then these things must be amazing. Should I open it? Or must I be blessed first?” 

“You catch on fast! Yes, you must be blessed by the great god Seven.” 

He snorted. “Okay, so what must I do? 

“Firstly, you must give the god Seven great praise.” 

He sat down at the breakfast bar. “Okay. Great god Seven, you’re voice is very nice.” 

“Ah!” He seemed like he wasn’t expecting that. “Hahaha it seems you can hear brilliance! Very good. Okay next, you must give thanks to god Seven but it has to be in cat language.” 

“Cat language? Oh I see. Uhm… Thank mew god Seven for…uhm… making sure… I’m safe. Meow.” 

“Hahaha! No problem meow! Okay okay! I need to get back to work. You’ve been blessed!” 

“Thanks, don’t work too hard.” He couldn’t help but smile. That guy was something else. 

After playing with the control of the showers Zack flopped onto the bed and sighed. “Oof, it’s barely 1 and I’m exhausted.” He still hadn’t put on bed sheets. “Ugh…” The effects of not sleeping for 24 hours was finally starting to get to him. It was hot enough that he wouldn’t need blankets anyways. Back in Wisconsin he’d be needing a light covering but here the humidity made him want to die. He couldn’t help but laugh at all this. “What am I going to do when I go back?” 

He was in a strange sate of half asleep and half awake. He could hear himself talking as he dreamed of _their_ old apartment. “… come to bed.” He mumbled. He hated sleeping alone. He could feel it every night, the bed just felt colder now. He slightly opened his eyes as his breathing steadied. He could hear the sound of You-Know-Who talking in the distance. _That’s right, you were on the phone with your mother._ The soft whispering, that calming voice, it reminded him… _He sounds like that ZEN guys sprites._ He smiles, _his_ sound always puts him to sleep. 

A rush of pain swells in his chest. He opens his eyes abruptly and sits up. For a split second he thought he was home and everything was back to normal again. He let out a strangled sigh and turned over grabbing the pillow. He pulled his laptop next to him and signed into his Hulu account and put on something random. He’d let the shows drown out his dreams, or at least interrupt them. He watched the sitcom before lulling back into a heavy sleep. At least now any memory that wanted to surface was shot down by a laugh track. 

~* 

What awoke him was the sound of his own humming. He opened his eyes and saw his phone notification was blinking. It was a reflex to just grab it even if his mind was still trying to wake up. He had missed a call from someone just ten minutes ago. He lazily dialed back and laid his ear on the phone. Already the trilling was starting to bring him back to sleep. 

“Hello, Zachary.” _Now that was a really nice voice._

“…lo.” He mumbled.

“Am I disturbing you?” 

“No.” He was dozing off. His own voice was gravelly and came from deep in the back of his throat. He didn’t have a deep voice, not like this one, but it probably sounded a bit strange.Even so, he knew he could fall asleep to this voice, who was even calling in the first place? Doesn’t matter just keep talking. 

“I believe this is your first time hearing my voice. Seeing as today is your first day I wanted to introduce myself.” He nodded and… was back in dream land. Whatever the person was saying he couldn’t register but it was like music to his ears. 

Zack had a thing for voices. He didn’t know what started it but he was weak for ones that he could actually feel. Mainly low, timber, voices with a soft vibrato was his achilles heel. 

“…ry. Zachary… Zachary!” 

Zack startledawake. “Hmm! What?” 

“Are you alright? You started to make a strange humming noise.” 

“What? I’m awake.” He yawned. 

“You fell asleep? Then I suppose you didn’t hear anything I just said.” 

He felt a sudden panic. Who the hell was he talking to? “Uhhh… no. No sorry. I must have dozed off.” He sat up. 

“Then I shall repeat myself. I am hoping that you do find our resources useful. Seeing as the party-“ 

Zack shook his head awake. “I… I’m sorry… but um. Who is this?” 

“… I see, you fell asleep rather quickly.” 

“I’m sorry. I haven’t slept since yesterday. And your voice…” 

“My voice?” 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nothing.” He breathed out and laid on his back shook his head in embarrassment. 

“Do you find it unsatisfying?” 

“No. No it’s fine. Just forget I said anything.” 

“Very well. Then let me start over. My name is Jumin Han.” 

_Oh shit, the corporate executive and seemingly right hand man of the RFA_ (maybe left hand he couldn’t tell) _just got the worst first impression on our first phone call_. Zack cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about that earlier. How long were you talking? Oh, also sorry. Nice to meet you.” 

“It’s fine, things must have been hectic for you. I had only been talking for three minutes. Admittedly I thought you were responding.” 

“Ah… sorry. Uhm well if you’re worried about the party and my involvement or at least my skills, I may not be able to prove it to you, but I can do it.” _Probably._ “Or at least I’m going to give it my all.” 

“That is reassuring. I at least admire your confidence. And I do hope that you get proper sleep to keep your head straight.” 

_Well, seeing as I have nothing to do._ “Yeah, I’m just a bit… discombobulated right now. Uh, but uh, it won’t happen again.” He felt like he was in trouble. 

“Very good. Well then, I must get back to work, I would like to leave early today and see Elizabeth 3rd.” 

“Well…then I’ll let you go.” _Geez that guy adores that cat._ “Uhm, bye.” Zack shook his head. “Ugh, I fell asleep on him… seriously?” 

~* 

For the rest of the day Zack spent his time looking through Rika’s computer. There were encrypted files upon encrypted files in here with odd titles. He couldn’t look through them even if he wanted too, they were locked like the gates of hell. Luckily he was able to go through past emails with the guests. And boy were these people… _eccentric_. This was going to be a dang doodily doozy of a project. 

He pressed this thumb to his lips and chewed on his nail as he scrolled through the pictures of the previous party. These things were damn lavish, what the hell? Everyone was in black tie, the ladies were running around in ball gowns, and the food looked exquisite. He moved to the next finger and chewed as he watched a few videos someone, by the sound of it a woman, had recorded. She was giving the walk around of the ballroom they had booked and was showing the table decor and theme, ‘A Night Under the Stars’. God, it was beautiful. He moved to the next nail. His neck was starting to prick with worry. 

He had to stop before he chewed his whole hand off. But… a _simple_ party? Is this what he was up against? They wanted him, a complete rando, to through a party like _this?_ No wonder they kept talking about it to him. They must know he’s completely out of his league. They can sense it. He got up and paced around the room. A lavish party? The only lavish party he’d ever been too was the invite he got for his cousin’s quinceanera. 

And where was he going to get a tux? He wasn’t going to pay for _that_. He went to the bathroom and filed his nails as he thought this through. He felt as if he was already in too deep. Everyone was getting so excited about having this party again, he felt like he’d be hurting them if he decided to leave. But this was insane. They made it sound like it was a fun gathering at the community center! Not a damn Disney party. All the women looked like Belle or whatever. 

Feeling completely anxious Zack started to clean every inch of the apartment. He vacuumed, mopped, dusted, polished the floors, put on new bedsheets, cleaned the windows, he wasn’t going to stop until the place sparkled. By the time he was done it was dinner time. Not wanting those cheap TV dinners, he ordered some pizza and put on his shows with a beer in hand. “I should stop drinking these.” He opened his phone. Oh lordy, ZEN and Jumin were in the same chatroom. Those two were literally cats and dogs. 

> **ZEN:** The day’s coming to an end, and I’m getting lonely. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Weak minds surrendering to solitude? How sad. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Says the person who got a cat because _he’s_ lonely. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Elizabeth 3rd is not a random pet to soothe loneliness   
>  **Jumin Han:** We are companions. We have our life together. 
> 
> **ZEN:** I’m not going to talk about cats again. End of discussion.   
>  **ZEN:** Don’t you ever feel lonely Zack? 

_For_ _the past two months I’ve felt like I’m sinking in a hole._

> **Zack:** Sure, everyone does now and then.   
>  **Zack:** But then you just deal with it. 
> 
> **ZEN:** I guess… I’ve been feeling so sentimental lately. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Do you even know what that word means? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Hmm?   
>  **ZEN:** Isn’t it a feeling of being both excited and anxious? Like a teenager? 

ZEN uses his questioning emoji. _That voice… yeah._

> **Jumin Han:** Sentimental means to be become sensitive. 
> 
> **Zack:** Or nostalgic. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Precisely, I know why you’re feeling that way. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well then why? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Because Zack is here and we’re talking about parties again. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well that is true
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Normally ZEN just annoys me by constantly popping in and talking about nothing. 
> 
> **ZEN:** What? Hey…   
>  **ZEN:** Zack, I don’t go around pestering people  
>  **ZEN:** But I have been thinking a lot about the parties and you, Zack. 
> 
> **Zack:** Well I’m hoping my presence doesn’t prove to be a burden. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, or a waste of time. 
> 
> **ZEN:** That’s harsh. He’s doing his best. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** If he can’t do the work Rika did, then he’s useless like you are ZEN. 
> 
> **ZEN** : Ass  
>  **ZEN:** Don’t be so rude  
>  **ZEN:** He just judges everyone on his petty standards.   
>  **ZEN:** Do Rika’s work if you want to or don’t. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** If he doesn’t then there’s no point him being here.   
>  **Jumin Han:** And Seven and V can deny him access   
>  **Jumin Han:** And as we know, he will have no where else to go. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well  
>  **ZEN:** I mean;;; 
> 
> **Zack:** Before we start throwing me to the dogs,   
>  **Zack:** Just know that I’m going to give this my all. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well then I’ll make sure to help! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** We all have to help.   
>  **Jumin Han:** The parties were successful because Rika had amazing skills with people   
>  **Jumin Han:** Do _you_ Zack? 
> 
> **Zack:** If I apply myself, which I am, then then end result will be good. 

_God, you’re stressing me out. Shut up._

> **Jumin Han:** I see  
>  **Jumin Han:** Good answer. I shall hold you to it.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Softies like ZEN or Yoosung will tell you to not feel burdened   
>  **Jumin Han:** But I am telling you know to do this job responsibly and with awareness.   
>  **Jumin Han:** If you give it your minimum no one will be happy. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Okay, he gets it. Geez. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I have my expectations. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Ignore him Zack   
>  **ZEN:** Argh  
>  **ZEN:** I just got invited to dinner with the director. But I already ate.   
>  **ZEN:** I have no choice… he basically controls me. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** lol   
>  **Jumin Han:** I am going to feed Elizabeth 3rd
> 
> **ZEN:** See you Zack
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Goodbye for Meow
> 
> **ZEN:** dont’ do that. 
> 
> ZEN has left the chatroom   
>  Jumin Han Has left the chatroom
> 
> **Zack:** Jumin | 1 / ZEN | 1 

The stress kept building up. Soon after, he received a call from the wedding planner telling him that his payments were due. Then, he got a call from the florist telling him that she never received the check for bouquet and wedding wreath. Afterwords he was called by the bakery that his check bounced. He rubbed at his neck sharply. He had no choice. He had to call _him_. 

He had memorized his phone number long ago. As he dialed the numbers his fingers trembled and he messed up more than once. When the phone started ringing his stomach dropped. _Don’t pick up. Don’t pick up. Don’t pick up._

“Hello?” 

_Oh god._ He moved to hang up the phone but stopped. “H-h-hello.” 

“Zack? Oh. Uh, you got a new number I see.” 

Oh god. His voice was like ZEN’s, he prayed ZEN would never ever call him.“I lo-lost my other one.” He couldn’t breathe. 

“I told you, download your stuff to the Cloud.” 

“I st-till can’t tru-uhst it…” He was shaking like mad. “I called for a rea-reason.” 

“Yeah… I figured.” He could hear another voice in the background but couldn’t make out what it said. “I’ll be there soon. Go back to bed.” He whispered. 

Zack gritted his teeth. “Who! You!” He gripped his neck. “You need to help pay for the wedding!! I can’t handle it on my own!” 

“… Zack.” 

“No! Don’t _Zack_ , me! You were a part of it to!” 

_He_ didn’t reply. 

“You were! Like it or not your name was on those papers. M-maybe you didn’t like it, but you still have to chip in.” He felt the first tear. _NO! I’m NOT doing this!_ He couldn’t breathe. He collapsed to the floor and felt his throat closing on him. 

“Yeah… but I mean you were the one who wanted all of that-” 

“FOCUS!” He choked. 

“Okay! Okay… I’ll… pay for something.” 

“No! You need to help! For fucks sake! You can’t even help me!?” He bit his lip. 

“Zachary… breathe. You need to breathe before you pass out.” 

“You’re the cause of this!” He gasped for air. 

“I know. Now, breathe in.” 

“Don’t-“ 

“Is there anyone with you?” 

“What’s it matter-“ 

“Is. There. Anyone. With. You?” 

“N-no.” 

“Then let me help you. What are you going to do if pass out? Now… breathe in.” 

Zack closed his eyes and did as he was told. 

“And out. Good. Keep doing that in and out. Now, don’t worry about this. I’m going to help you. And I’m sorry I haven’t stepped up. Just take it easy and know you’re not alone. If you don’t want to pay them, then don’t. Just know that I’m here for you.” 

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Don’t… don’t say that.” His voice hitched. 

“… I, uhm, I’ll… just send me the bills to my email. I can pay for them. You should… just focus on yourself right now and… uhm…” There was a silence. _He_ laughed awkwardly. “Th-things haven’t been this quiet since I told you I cheated on my math test.” 

Zack smiled. “Well… it pissed me off. I mean you took my score from top of the class.” 

“You had all the gold stars.” 

“It was like that scene in Spongebob where he got his star taken away. Remember that episode?” He dug his nails into his wrist. 

“Haha! Yeah, man that marathon we watched of the good seasons was awesome!” 

“It really brought back memories.” 

“I love that leedle-leedle-leddle-lee episode. With the perfume isle.” 

“Aha! You were trying so hard to do the laugh afterwards.” 

“It’s hard!” They laughed. Another tear fell. “And that night, haha I couldn’t resist..” 

“You did it randomly while we were in bed. It surprised me and it was weird!!” 

“I had to. I mean the atmosphere was sexy but it just popped into my mind. The look,” he burst out laughing, “the look you gave me! It was priceless. You were between aroused and horrified.” 

“Horoused you might say. Mostly horrified.” 

“Aha! Exactly!” 

Silence fell between them. 

“I uhm… I’ll send the stuff.” Zack mumbled. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll look tonight.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Then, uhm I better go. Take care Zack.” 

“You too.” 

“Bye.” 

“Bye. I love…” He bit his lip. _He_ slightly coughed. Zack hung up and dug his fingers into his scalp. “You idiot… don’t make me laugh. I want to hate your guts right now.” 

          After that, Zack didn’t feel like mingling the rest of the night. To his horror ZEN did call, and after the first “Hello how are you”, he hung up. He couldn’t do it. He texted ZEN that he was sorry but the house was on fire which then prompted Seven to call, and unlike the first phone call, Seven sounded completely dead and terrified. He felt awful and told him that he’d make it up to him somehow. 

The night was moving slowly as Zack emailed _him_ the payments. He licked his lips and looked at his ring. _Do you still have yours_? He wondered as he put it back on. He shouldn’t be wearing it… but he couldn’t let go. As he laid in bed he grabbed the pillow and hugged it. “I miss you… why? Why did you have to make me smile again?” 

The person who was in the background… why? Why do you get to sleep in someone’s arms, with another warmth, and I get nothing? Why are you already moving on!? 

He thought about that night at the party. All he thought about was _him_ and it made him feel worse. “How could you sleep with others? How did it feel good? I can’t … I just… you were the only one.” He buried his face into the pillow and squeezed it like he as strangling the damn thing. “All of this and I can’t even properly hate you.” It felt cold and lonely and the pain in his chest was shooting throughout his whole body. He just… 

Why did the love die? Or was it even there to begin with? 

He wanted to know. 

But he was afraid of what he’d learn. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tralalala. Lol did Zack ever get his pizza? Nope. Oh well  
> Zack's exes name is Voldemort (no)   
> I listened to all of Jumin's calls. Lolol he says weird things. But oh the voice. The voy-ssssss


	4. Day 2 Morning: Reaching the Breaking Point

~ 7 years ago ~ 

“You know, the car’s not supposed to fry like that.” 

Zack smashed his face to the steering wheel, the loud honking only adding to his agony. “My dad’s going to kill me…” He groaned. “I just got my license.” 

“Haha!” _He_ looked over and patted his back. “Sucks to be you.” 

“Shut up.” Zack straightened up. “Well… I better look at the damage.”

“It overheated. I think.” 

“Yeah, _you’re_ the expert.” They got out of the car and slightly froze as they saw the smoke coming out from the engine. 

“It’s not gonna blow up right?” 

“I-I dunno…” Zack unlocked his phone. “I better just call a mechanic.” 

“Yeah, let him die.” 

“No!” He laughed. The two looked at each other and smiled. “Sorry… the dates kinda a bust huh?” 

“Nah, I didn’t really feel like Red’s anyways. There’s a Wendy’s down the street.” 

“What? Bring me back something I have to stay with the car.” _If you didn’t want it then why did you agree to go?_ “Fries and a burger. And Root-beer too.” 

“Yuck.” _He_ stuck his tongue out and gagged. “Heh, I’ll be back.” _He_ looked around before kissing Zack on the cheek. “Bye!” He ran off. 

“S-sap…” He blushed and bit back the smile. 

~ Present Time ~ 

Zack rolled over and sighed. What time was it? Two in the morning?! He rubbed his face and groaned. _ZEN thinks_ ** _he’s_** _getting sentimental. Tch, I’m king of the sentimentalright here._ He grabbed his phone and winced at the intrusive light. 

Jumin, surprisingly, was on the chat right now. He closed one eye as he adjusted to the light and typed into his phone. 

> **Zack:** Can’t sleep? 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : Neither can you I see.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Actually I was working while having some wine.   
>  **Jumin Han:** What are you doing this hour? 
> 
> **Zack:** Bad dream.   
>  **Zack:** Felt like getting my mind off of it. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Nightmares come from a cluttered or stressed mind. 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, I’d say I’m both those things. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** A cluttered mind can lead to making simple mistakes.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Perhaps you should let go of whatever is bothering you. 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m trying. It’s just hard to. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** It is pointless to hold onto things that only harm you. 
> 
> **Zack:** I know.
> 
> **Jumin Han** : I will not ask what is bothering you.   
>  **Jumin Han** : But I do hope that you are able to resolve it.   
>  **Jumin Han:** For if we start throwing parties again, it would be better for us if you had a clear head. 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, I get it. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Everyone is getting excited about your coming here.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Personally I believe that is all pointless, as we don’t know if we are even hosting a party.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Getting excited would be a waste of energy if the party doesn’t happen. 
> 
> **Zack:** I get that. You don’t want to have the disappointment in the long run. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Good, I’m glad you understand.   
>  **Jumin Han:** are you planning on seeing the tabby tomorrow? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I have come up with a name. 
> 
> **Zack:** Tell me. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Firstly I need to know what it looks like. 
> 
> **Zack:** Oh yeah, I found a picture for you. But I can’t send links or photos so just look up Orange Tabby Cat on google and then look at the picture of the cat in the snow. He looks like that. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Give me a second. 

Seconds turned to a few minutes. 

> **Jumin Han:** I see  
>  **Jumin Han:** Though not even close to holding the beauty like Elizabeth 3rd does, the cat is still spectacular.   
>  **Jumin Han:** I have come up with three names: Muffin, Ginger, Crookshank 
> 
> **Zack:** Heh, I like all of them.   
>  **Zack:** Which do you prefer more? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I do not know. It would depend on the personality of the cat. 
> 
> **Zack:** Heh I’ll leave it up for the others. The RFA cat. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** very well  
>  **Jumin Han:** Look at this. 

_Let me guess… yup a picture of Fuzz Butt._

> **Zack:** Yes, she’s very pretty. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** She is the prime example of a beautiful cat. 

_You’ve shown me this picture already._

> **Zack:** She seems really important to you.   
>  **Zack:** Was she a present? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, someone very important gave her to me.   
>  **Jumin Han:** It pains me to leave her alone all day. 

_I’m sure she barely notices. I shouldn’t be mean I felt the same way about Poopins the Puppy. I bet the cat adores him._

> **Zack:** I used to leave the TV or radio on for my dog. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Perhaps I shall do that. But what show should I give her? 
> 
> **Zack:** There’s literally a channel just for pets.   
>  **Zack** : I mean it’s specifically made for them, so maybe that. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Is there?   
>  **Jumin Han:** I will look into this immediately. But I’m not sure how to turn on the TV, there are too many remotes for the model I have. 
> 
> **Zack:** A lot of remotes are universal. Meaning they will work on any TV.   
>  **Zack:** I think you should look at your model, then look at the service you use for your channels. Then find that remote and use it. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Thank you, I will do that.
> 
> **Zack:** Oh, you should also look up which channel it’s on. Those types are usually buried.   
>  **Zack:** But I’ve never really checked. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I shall look right away.   
>  **Jumin Han:** This will be excellent. I shall have Assistant Kang put on these channels when she watches Elizabeth 3rd.

_Oops sorry Jaehee. What he doesn’t know won’t kill him though, so just ignore that._

> **Zack:** Oh she watches her? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** When I go on business trips yes.   
>  **Jumin Han:** I know I can always trust her  
>  **Jumin Han:** If I made a cat related business I can have Elizabeth be the model  
>  **Jumin Han:** and then I can work with her all the time. 

_This guy._

> **Zack:** Yup. You _could_ do that. 

_I better change the subject for Jaehee’s sake._

> **Zack** : But isn’t better to be the only one who knows her beauty?   
>  **Zack:** And what if people take her picture and photoshop it into something weird. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Photoshop?   
>  **Jumin Han:** Would they do that? 
> 
> **Zack:** You never know.   
>  **Zack:** Or they may use her in a meme. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** A meme? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah either ask Seven or look it up.   
>  **Zack:** I’m not good with keeping up with all the latest ones. So I’m not the one to ask. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Hmm, thank you for cautioning me. I shall reconsider this project.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Speaking of projects, there is a group I would like to attend the party.   
>  **Jumin Han:** It’s a cat shelter group, perhaps they even help Muffin. 

_I guess he likes that name._

> **Zack:** Okay  
>  **Zack:** I guess they shoot me an email then?   
>  Zack: Invite them. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Do you understand what you are to be doing? 
> 
> **Zack:** I read through old emails. I understand fully actually. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Excellent   
>  **Jumin Han:** I need to start getting ready for work. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s two in the morning.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, and I have things to prepare.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Have a good second day, Zack. 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks. Have fun at work.   
>  **Zack:** Remember the cat tv. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I have not forgotten. 
> 
> Jumin Han has left the chatroom 

He mumbled under his breath as he readjusted in the bed. He took out his mouth guard, he had started grinding his teeth again, and let out a loud “Haaaaahhhh”. If he could, he’d climb atop a mountain and scream until his throat was raw. He grabbed his earbuds and put on music. 

_Cat projects. Why are cats always given so much love? What about pigs or iguanas? I feel like, Jumin, Jaeehee, and Seven are cats, and ZEN is a dog, Yoosung is probably a puppy. No… maybe Jumin is like a wolf. Or a lion… something strong… and persnickety. So maybe a fox? I think I’m like a… maybe a… chihuahua. Or a blind deer…. what the hell am I thinking?_

_~* 8 AM, Pure Joy *~_

> **707:** So damn tired  
>  **707:** Is anyone here?   
>  **707:** Mayday! Mayday!   
>  **707:** In need of entertainment!
> 
> **Zack:** If you want entertainment  
>  **Zack:** Then you must answer my question. 
> 
> **707:** oooo! Fire away! 
> 
> **Zack** : I was thinking about this when I was trying to fall back asleep last night.   
>  **Zack:** If you guys were all animals, then what would you be?  
>  Zack: I figured ZEN is like some husky or whatever. Yoosung is a goofball puppy, you’re like a street cat, Jaehee is like those calm cats that watches everyone be stupid and Jumin? I dunno 
> 
> **707:** A… hmmm… a wolf! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah it’d make sense. 
> 
> **707:** But the real question is if we’re all animals then what is Elly? 
> 
> **Zack:** A human I guess?   
>  **Zack:** Or maybe every human just changes into animals and lives with all the other animals that were already on this planet
> 
> **707:** I like that!   
>  **707:** If the whole planet was animals then there wouldn’t be conflicts!   
>  **707:** But! If humans turn into animals leaving the world left in its human created state, then what happens? 
> 
> **Zack:** the now-human-animals would try to see if we could continue with our human oriented world.   
>  **Zack:** eventually some vegetation would take over the earth.   
>  **Zack:** !!! NO WAIT!!   
>  **Zack** : Okay okay   
>  **Zack:** So first it’s just utter chaos.   
>  **Zack:** Some people are domestic animals, some are birds, whatever whatever.   
>  Zack: Now the only weapons we have is just what our animal uses to protect themselves. 
> 
> **707:** Ooo! So some can camouflage, some have fangs, etc. etc. 
> 
> **Zack:** Exactly.   
>  **Zack:** So now civilizations start to form.   
>  Zack: Covert military carries those chameleons 
> 
> **707:** All the singers are birds 
> 
> **Zack:** yeah! track teams have cheetahs blah blah blah it’s this whole thing. 
> 
> **707:** lolol! 
> 
> **Zack** : It’s basically like that animal movie that came out.   
>  **Zack:** That one about that hare and a fox 
> 
> **707:** Ooo! Yeah! Loved it a lot 
> 
> **Zack:** I never saw it but I heard a lot about it. 
> 
> **707:** You must watch.   
>  **707:** Must. Watch.   
>  **707:** God Seven recommends it. 
> 
> **Zack** : Well if he’s recommended it then sure. 
> 
> **707:** **\\(** **★** **ω** **★** **)/  
>  707: ** Lolol that was fun  
>  **707:** Hey, how’s the apartment. Anything weird? 
> 
> **Zack:** Other than this whole thing?   
>  **Zack:** No. 
> 
> **707:** Yeah lol, I guess this whole situation is really REALLY odd  
>  **707:** I’m still trying to find the two people who sent you   
>  **707:** But nothing yet.   
>  **707:** BUT! your phone and stuff are safe.   
>  **707:** And I’ve read up on ya  
>  **707:** And sorry for you-know-what
> 
> **Zack:** What? How did you find out? 
> 
> **707:** Someone in your circle of friends did a rant 
> 
> **Zack:** They should shut up.   
>  **Zack:** It’s none of their business 
> 
> **707:** I suppose  
>  **707:** And I guess it was none of my business either
> 
> **Zack** : It’s fine.   
>  **Zack:** It’s not like you were trying to bring me down.   
>  Zack: You were just doing your job. 
> 
> **707:** Well! You’re clean and that’s all that matters!   
>  **707:** Let’s change the subject!   
>  **707:** I have chosen a name for the tabby!   
>  **707:** Blaise! 
> 
> **Zack:** That’s good too
> 
> **707:** Or The Flaming Fuzz! 
> 
> **Zack:** That works. 
> 
> **707:** You at that pastry place again? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, I’m just winding down. I had four shots of espresso so I couldn’t hold the paintbrush without shaking  
>  **Zack:** Today the couple have gone to the hospital for a checkup. So I’m just doing what I need to, while their useless part timer is Instagram-ing inside. 
> 
> **707:** Lolol I-gen amIrite? 
> 
> **Zack:** Damn them  
>  **Zack:** They should just get off my lawn. 
> 
> **707:** lolol!  
>  **707:** That’s why I have mines on my lawn 
> 
> **Zack** : Geezus   
>  **Zack:** Don’t mess with Seven, kids
> 
> **707:** Yup!   
>  **707:** When they step on them they get a face full of confetti 
> 
> **Zack:** That sounds about right.   
>  **Zack:** I guess for Jumin they get a face full of cat hair.   
>  Zack: No never mind. That’s too precious 
> 
> **707:** Lololol   
>  **707:** Oh hey hey, my maid just finished polishing my cars   
>  **707:** Looky here! 

Zack spit out his water. Cars. Cars everywhere. Fancy, shiny, rich, cars. 

> **Zack:** Oh. My. God. 
> 
> **707:** Right? Haha! I may not be able to have a cat but I have these jaguars!   
>  **707:** Car engine = cat purr 
> 
> **Zack:** Well there you go. You’ve got all the cats you need. 
> 
> **707:** Haha! Master of the economy! 
> 
> **Zack:** I’d say. Holy shit 
> 
> **707** : Lolol!   
>  **707:** Well I better run!   
>  **707:** Perhaps I should edit everyone’s profile pictures into animals 
> 
> **Zack:** That’s the way
> 
> **707:** lolol! Yeah!   
>  **707:** Bye! Have a good day! 
> 
> **Zack:** Meow-dios 
> 
> **707:** Lol!
> 
> 707 has left the chatroom 

Zack sighed and rubbed his chin. “I need to shave.” He leaned back and pet Butty as soon as he jumped into his lap. “I like all the names they’ve given you but… I think I still like Butty the best.” He smiled as the cat blinked at him. “I know, I’m lame. But I like it.” He sighed and poked Butty’s pink nose. “I guess I see why Jumin likes this. The purring is cute.” He picked him up and held him closer. “Heh, you’re all floppy.” 

His phone buzzed. ZEN… shit. He couldn’t just ignore the guy; despite the voice ZEN seemed kind. He took a deep breath, coughed from the cat fur, and answered. 

“I… am so sorry for hanging up on you yesterday.” 

“It surprised me!” ZEN chuckled. “I didn’t know my voice had that effect on men.” 

Zack rolled his eyes. “Okay.” He was monotone. 

“I wanted to fully introduce myself yesterday, I’m ZEN and I work in theatre. I may be busy but I will be happy to answer any of your questions.” 

“Thanks.” He sighed. “I um… Jaehee called me yesterday, I think I get the gist of it. I… uhm…” He wanted to tell him not to call, but he couldn’t do it. It would be selfish and rude, and like he figured ZEN seemed nice. He couldn’t take his hate out on this guy. 

“Yes, you can have an autograph.” 

He wondered if ZEN was just playing around to make him feel better. This narcissism was kinda funny. “Oh, heh, thanks I guess.” 

“Hey, I have a question for you. How old are you?” 

“Twenty-three.” 

“Hey! We’re the same age! Okay so what’s your sign?”

“Pisces.” 

“Same as Yoosung. I’m an Aries. Are you a student?” 

“No. I graduated last year.” He sighed. “And now I’m here.” 

“Do you have friends here?” 

“Nope. This may have been one of the more stupider things I’ve done with my life, but, eh, whatever.”It’s one of at least. The other was being played. _Well, damn. I’m just a ball of anger._ He looked down to see he was digging his nails into palm. 

“We all have to do something spontaneous every now and then.” He laughed. _Thank god, that laugh sounds nothing like You-Know-Who._ “Hey! I should give you free tickets to my play, it’s going to be in three weeks.” 

“Oh, thank you but I should pay right? That supports the theater.” _Though I don’t have money to throw around._

“No worries! I’ll give it to you at the party.” 

_Geez you talk a lot… no I should shut up, I’m just being an ass._ “I… okay. Thank you.” Zack looked up at the clouds. “I uhm… Thanks for calling back. Uh… I better go though. Bye.” He hung up before ZEN could respond and let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “That wasn’t so bad.” He smiled. “Progress. Right?” 

_Oh sweet, another message._

> **Jaehee Kang:** Thank you so much! Mr. Han has pulled some cat projects! Thank you thank you thank you! 

He couldn’t help but smile as he wrote back. 

> **Zack:** Happy to help 

His phone buzzed again. 

> **555-4343:** Hey, I payed the cake bill. 

He couldn’t help it. Even a simple text made his face flush. Why does _he_ have this effect on him? 

> **You:** Thanks. Sorry you had to do that
> 
> **555-4343:** No problem! Happy to help!  
>  **555-4343:** I’m looking at the wedding hall now. Can we split that? 
> 
> **You:** Yeah
> 
> **555-4343:** Awesome! Then I better get some rest! Bye bye! 

_Don’t act so friendly. Please.  
Actually… I want to see you. _

He looked at his reflection in his blank phone. He felt a severe pain rush into his chest until his fingers and toes felt numb. The pain shot through his veins and took his breath away until it felt like he was choking. He clutched his chest and squeezed his eyes shut. What was this feeling? Was it a heart attack? No, it wasn’t that. This pain was something else. Something that made his heart squeeze tightly. 

He wasn’t dumb. He knew exactly what it was, but he was going to force it down, burry it, shove it into a box and throw that into the ocean. He knew it wasn’t a smart move, he took psychology before he switched majors, but he didn’t care. Confronting his feelings wasn’t something he could do publicly. He knew that people can get help, he believed in seeking help whole heartedly. He preached that others should know that they weren’t alone, that they aren’t annoying for wanting help; he just didn’t follow his own advice.

Granted getting cheated on was something that happens to others but… he couldn’t face the music. There was something he didn’t want to uncover. He was his own prison and he was too scared to open the doors into the truth. So he resorted to shoving himself in his prison cell. He was safer there. If he received the occasional painful squeeze in his heart to the point his body felt numb, then so be it. 

Zack slapped his face and pulled Butty closer to his chest. The cat purred and gently kneaded its claws into his stomach. Now he really understood why Jumin liked this. He wondered if Jumin was a lonely man. He adored that Fuzz Butt, it was like Fuzzy was his only companion. “Are you running from something?” He mumbled into the cats fur. Allergies be damned, he would wash his face later. “Me too.” Maybe that’s why Seven wanted a cat too. “We’re all running. Damn.” He let go of Butty and silently walked into the cafe. 

The part-timer looked up at him in boredom. His eyes widened slightly. “Jeez, did you fall or something?” 

“What?” Zack mumbled. 

“I mean, I know they have you doing all that physical shit but… damn thank god I’m working behind the counter. I don’t wanna look like that.” 

Zack arched his brow. Once he reached the restroom he looked into the mirror. “Damn…” Why hadn’t he noticed? When did this happen? He reached up and touched the bruises on his arms. Some were a deep purple, others were turning into a harsh red.He wracked his brain to recall the feeling of them. They most certainly hurt, but when did they even appear? “That’s not good.” He mumbled. Was he not registering pain? “Shit.” He laughed. “Get over yourself.” He sneered at his reflection and scratched at his stubble. 

If there was anyone he was good at beating up, insulting, bringing down, and strangling, it was himself. That sinister part of him that spoke nothing but poison into his mind. The part of him that was mocking him and laughing at himself for being such an idiot. It kept him up at night. And right now, _it_ was talking—no screaming— in his mind. 

**_Idiot, look at how dramatic you are. You think your situation is so bad? Pathetic piece of shit! Other people have it worse. You’re a prick for feeling sorry for yourself. You keep asking yourself when did the love die? Well, here’s a question you fuckin’ ugly bastard, was it ever even there?_ **

Zack splashed water into his face and smiled weakly at himself. He was fighting the urge to just burst out laughing. He would punch the mirror if he could. This rage, he knew it well. 

Zack wasn’t a calm person. Anger was quick to take over him. He would never hurt anyone or anything, the only thing he did to relieve this rage was punching a wall. Brick or concrete was best for him. Once he hit a wall so hard he sprained his hand. Only the pain of it finally calmed him down. Right now he’d just have to find another outlet. 

There was a knock at the door. “You okay?” Part-timer sounded worried, for once. 

Zack shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He said as he looked harshly into the mirror. 

“You ain’t gonna get sick are ya?” 

“No.” He said curtly. He could hear Part-timer walk off. Zack took a few deep breaths and splashed his face with cold water. He took another hard look at his body and raised his shirt. “Holy…” There were so many. “How haven’t I noticed. God…” He rubbed his tired face and felt a sudden surge of fatigue. It was as if all the work he was forcing on his body was coming back like a punch to the face. His legs felt like lead and his body was aching and registered nothing but exhaustion to his brain. 

After another splash of cold water to the face— one as more of a punishment to himself then to wake him up—he walked out with a blank face. “Gonna get back to painting.” 

“You sure? You look like shit.” 

“Yeah, just got a little dizzy from my coffee.” 

“I think it’s the bruises you should be more worried about.” 

“That’s just from doing hard labor.” Talking was exhausting him. 

Part-timer looked at his face closely. “Hey. You don’t look so good. Ugh! Are you gonna hurl?” 

“I’m. Fine.” He gritted his teeth. 

“Nah dude, hey I’m the part-timer here and you’re the volunteer, so I order you to go home.” He said smugly. 

“Fucking… fine whatever. Tell them I’ll be back tomorrow.” 

“Yeah yeah, just go.” 

Zack dragged his feet towards home, but if he went home… 

~*

“Welcome to Pandora’s Box!” The bartender smiled as Zack walked in. 

“Thanks.” 

“What’ll it be?” 

“Beer.” He took a seat at the furthest spot of the bar. “Um… that brand.” He pointed at the silver spigot, he didn’t know how to read it but he knew he liked that brand. “And… some fries.” To counteract with the beer. Once he was settled he rested his weary body and pressed his cheek into the cold granite of the bar. It felt so good. He could sleep if he wanted to. He perked up when he felt the heat of the fries and barely croaked out a thank you. He pulled out his phone and sighed as he lazily shoved the salty food into his mouth. 

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Hi Zack! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang** : Zachary, I’m happy to have you here ^_^ 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang has been in a good mood today
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Lolol did you get a vacation? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Nothing of the sort. But I did get some weight off my shoulders 
> 
> **Zack:** That’s good
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** What’s everybody doing? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I am having lunch at my desk. 
> 
> **Zack:** Me too. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** My chef just left
> 
> **Zack:** What? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Your chef… -_- 

Yoosung posts a picture of his cafeteria food. 

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Student Saver Meal. Compliments to the _chef_  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** I tell myself it’s healthy and shove it into my mouth. 
> 
> **Zack:** Better take your Joy
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Lol am I being a Downer?   
>  **Yoosung** **★** : The woes of a college student. 
> 
> **Zack:** I did the same thing at the time. You can use your tears for extra flavor. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** The food is already salty enough… 
> 
> **Zack:** lol 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** So that’s what commoners in college eat for lunch
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yes Mr. CEO
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks Tamaki
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You seem to litter your food with side dishes. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** (-_-;) ···
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Not everyone gets to be born with a silver spoon. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** The stainless steel plate looks very heat conductive, you could get burned. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Like we care about that.   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Besides by the time I get to the soup it’s already cold, so that’s just one less worry off my plate ^_^ 
> 
> **Zack:** Sassy

He took a sip of his beer and smiled gratefully. This is bliss. 

> **Jaehee Kang:** Just graduate and get a job. 
> 
> **Zack:** Ha, if only it were so easy.   
>  **Zack:** After I graduated I had to work at a Micky D’s for like two months before I got a ‘real’ job. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** So… you’re saying I need connections? 
> 
> **Zack:** You have two options.   
>  **Zack:** Have a resume of someone who’s been working twenty years; or, have connections.   
>  Zack: It’s great :D 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Ugh! Why do we have to grow up!? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Welcome to the adult world. Where your meals are overpriced and the 24hr convenience store is your best friend ^_^ 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Ughhhhhh 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I have offered you to temp at my company. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yeah… I know. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I want to change the subject briefly.   
>  **Jumin Han:** I saw that Seven has given the okay for you Zachary. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I am sorry if I was curt with you before. 
> 
> **Zack:** You were concerned that’s all. No big deal
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Speaking of!   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Now that you’ve been given full clearance we should be able to have a party right?
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Most likely
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** The dates are up to V
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Well hopefully he hurries it up.   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Also, speaking of Seven  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** lolol you sure put a lot of thought into the animal universe thing Zack
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I do not wish to be a cat. However, your description of my role is correct. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I don’t believe I would be a wolf.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Wolves do not live in harmony with cats 
> 
> **Zack:** I’ll perfect my AU later
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Why am I a puppy? 
> 
> **Zack:** You’re cute that’s why 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** (o^ ▽ ^o)
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I am? ^///^ 
> 
> **Zack:** Innocent, hmm?   
>  **Zack:** Must. Resist urge. To corrupt. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Corrupt?   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** (·· ) ?
> 
> **Zack:** god
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Yoosung, you only dig yourself deeper into this hole. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** It seems you are not an innocent person Zack
> 
> **Zack:** Well my mind certainly isn’t 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You are at that bakery right?   
>  **Jumin Han:** Where is Muffin? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I like the idea of the cat being the official RFA Cat. I think his name should be like Ifrit or Ragnarok  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Ooo! Surt   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Saturnus! 
> 
> **Zack:** So just wake up get up get out there. We will get along swimmingly 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** lolol! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I do not think any of those names will fit that Tabby
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Maybe just a simple name will do. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s all up to you. 

_Though the name Butty is always going to be near and dear to my heart._

> **Zack:** He’s the unofficial RFA cat
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Although Elizabeth 3rd would take that title with no competition 
> 
> **Zack:** Of course.   
>  **Zack:** But she’s your precious Elizabeth 3rd  
>  Zack: Muffin/Blaise/Saturnus is the community cat 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I can agree to that. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Zack, do not bring that cat to the party  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** ZEN is deathly allergic
> 
> **Jumin Han:** It’s all in his head
> 
> **Zack:** No worries. He’s a stray, I don’t think that’d be a good idea regardless.   
>  **Zack:** Plus I’m allergic too. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** What an unfortunate curse. 
> 
> **Zack:** I know T_T   
>  **Zack:** Although, I was cuddling the cat awhile ago and I only sneezed twice. So, progress. Probably 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Cats have healing power
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** No they don’t
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I’m pretty sure only Seven and you think that
> 
> **Zack:** Well… maybe Jumin’s right. 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : I am always right
> 
> **Zack:** Heh 

He leaned his head back and screwed his eyes shut until he could see nothing but sparks. Once he opened them he grabbed his drink and downed it in one long gulp. The bitter taste was bliss. 

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Animals can always be comforting :) 

_You’re too kind._

> **Jumin Han:** You can talk to them too. 

_You’re right. But if I talk I know what will happen._ _The full truth will come out. I could talk to Seven because he knows but… Seven is busy. Maybe I should call Hannah. Oh but, she just found out she’s pregnant. No, don’t bother others._

> **Zack:** Yeah
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Personally I think it’s more comforting to watch one of ZEN’s DVD’s.   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Zack, you should try to find one at your local video store. Though there are some that only collectors, like myself, have. 
> 
> **Zack:** I’ll check it out sometime. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I believe a cat would be a better option. 

Zack chuckled through his nose as another beer was placed in front of him. 

> **Zack:** I like all of your options.   
>  **Zack:** But a good drink is also the best. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes a glass of wine can be relaxing. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I agree. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I like a good round of LOLOL   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Oh a friend is here. I gtg
> 
> Yoosung **★** has left the chatroom
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I’m going to head to the vending machine and get back to work
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I have yet to try one of those. They always confound me. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** They are very simple sir. Anyways, have a good day Zack. 
> 
> **Zack:** Likewise. 
> 
> Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I shall hope to meet Muffin one day.   
>  **Jumin Han:** I need to get back to work. Good day Zachary. 
> 
> **Zack:** Good day

~* 13:00 

He pressed his fingers lightly into his bruises and winced. “How could I _not_ have noticed?” Maybe he needed to talk to someone after all. But was he even ready? Actually when are you supposed to be ready? When you get to the breaking point? Or should you try to avoid that? He’s reached the breaking point more than once in his life but he buried it deep down so he didn’t have to talk. Was it a male thing? He wondered. He felt like talking about things wasn’t manly. 

No…. no it wasn’t that. He never cared about what is and isn’t manly or feminine, he was just him and that was good enough. 

“Making excushes.” He muttered into his glass. 

He downed his fifth beer and sighed. There in front of him laid his ring. This thing was starting to feel like a tether. When he put it on it burned, when he tried to take it off it felt like it was glued to him, when he stared at it he felt pain, when he tried to ignore it he felt empty. 

“Keep glaring at it like that and you’ll melt it.” A man in a security outfit sat next to him. 

“Hyun!” The bartender welcomed happily. 

_Regular, probably_. “Y-yeah.” Zack covered his ring. 

“Rough day so far?” 

“Rough year ashually. Y…You?” He hiccuped.

“It’s going to be.” He sighed. 

Zack looked over his security outfit. Navy blue, damn this thing really hugs the body huh. Geezussuch a sexy- huh?“C&R?” He straightened up as he eyed the name tag. 

“Oh? You know it?” The man smiled. He was kinda handsome, or was that the beer goggles?

“Uh,” Zack shrugged, “a bih- a bit.” 

“It’s a great company, hours a bit shitty but it’s great.” 

_Guess it’s not just Jaehee._

“I’m Hyun.” 

“Zah-Zachary. Uh so, what’s a security guard doing here drinking in the middle of the day?” He smirked. 

“Aha! Looks bad right?” He waved over the bar tender. “Actually I’m on break. I’m meeting my girlfriend here. I come here every day.” _Damn. That word was such a game stopper: Girlfriend…_

“Oh yeah? So what do you do? Or protect?” Zack shoved his ring into his pocket. 

“The CEO’s son. Jumin Han.” 

Zack nearly choked. He swallowed down all the shock and raised his eyebrows “R-really!?” _What are the damn odds?_

“It’s a pretty big deal but he makes the job easy. He goes to work-he travels but I’m not on that team-he comes home. That’s all I can say.” He brought a finger to his lips and winked. 

“Right.” Zack smiled wryly. "Wow, have you ever had to truly protect him? Like from a crazy employee?” _With your muscles? Mmm you’ve got a nice body._

“There’s been a few hiccups here and there.” Hyun brushed back his brown hair and sighed. “But it’s nothing _really_ interesting. Gets the bills paid.” 

_Plus you get the uniform._ Zack let his eyes wander for a split second. _Uniforms and suits… ah, focus._ “That’s all that,” he swallowed down his sixth beer, “matters. I guess.” 

“So what’s with your sullen look? And the day drunkness… You get rejected?” 

Zack snorted. “In a way.” He pulled the ring out. “See this thing here? It’s my ball and chah-chain.” He hiccuped. 

“I’m always a good sounding board. My girl tells me that a lot.” Hyun laughs. “Need an ear?” He sipped his beer. 

Zack rolled the ring around. He breathed in slowly. “I don’t-“ 

“It’s no bother.” 

_Is he just overly friendly or a god-send?_ “Uhm… I got cheated on a week before my wedding.” 

“Oh god…” 

“Yeah.” Zack laughed bitterly. “I think I was really angry at one point. I got back at ‘im by fucking someone else!” He slammed his fist to the table. “It wasn’t even…” He yawned. “Even good! The guy was a fucking jerk about the whole thing! But now, feelings that I drowned are resurfacing.” He felt a bit of pain easing off, just a tiny bit though. The seventh beer was placed in front of him. He opened his mouth to say more- 

“Hyun!” 

His senses were overwhelmed by the smell of vanilla. Behind Hyun was a woman with red hair- wait… 

“Hi Sarah, you got here early.” 

She peaked over his shoulder. “Oh!” She looked dumbfounded as they locked eyes before quickly changing to a Hollywood smile. “It’s you!” Her voice nearly cracked at her forced joy. 

Hyun looked between the two. “You’ve met before?” 

“Once.” She strained her smile. 

Hyun looked over and gave her the softest look Zack had ever seen. She smiled back with the same care and suddenly dropped her act. “That’s nice.” Hyun said after she sat down. “I was just listening to Zack’s woes here.” 

“Being a sound-board again?” She chuckled, albeit a bit strained. Seemed she was still tense for whatever reason. It’s not like Zack had tried to talk her up or vice versa, what’s her deal? “He’s the best at that.” 

“Yup!” Zack smiled. His face was red with the good liquid courage. 

Sarah waved over the bartender. “Ah, I’m going to miss this.” She sighed in contempt once her drink, Bloody Mary, was in front of her. 

“I know.” Hyun sounded almost heartbroken. _What the heck?_

Zack slightly turned away not wanting to intrude. 

“So Zack!” Hyun turned back, “You were saying?” 

“Be with your girl esé! Be with her!”He smiled sheepishly. “I’m actually done for the day.” He downed the seventh drink and felt its effects hit him like a bag of bricks. “You two enjoy.” He got up with a sway and dug his wallet out. 

“Hey, no worries.” Hyun grinned. “I got this!” 

“Ah no, you don’t have to.” 

“I insist.” 

“Uhm, but-“ 

“I’m here every night, stop by again and you can get the next round.” Hyun laughed. _Overly friendly for sure._ “Okay?” 

“S-sure.” 

Sarah smiled. “How come you can make friends so easily?” 

“Eh? Nothing wrong with lending a helping hand.” Hyun put the bills down. He turned back to Zack as Sarah laughed gently. _Is that your real laugh or another mask?_ “Here you go!” He handed him his business card. 

“O-oh thanks. I don… don’t have nothing to hand over.” 

“No worries! If you ever want to talk you can call me!” 

“Sorry if he’s pushy.” Sarah sighed. 

“It’s uhm… He’s not.” Zack shrugged. “Uh… th-thanks for everything. Bye.” He shuffled out of the bar and breathed in sharply. “Ugh… how do I geh… get home?” He swayed awkwardly. Before he could even take a step someone grabbed his arm. 

“Actually,” Hyun and Sera were standing behind him, “maybe we should take you home.” A look of concern was painted on their faces. Hyun pulled out his keys. 

“Nah, no.” Zack shook his arm away. “I dun want to ruin yer day, esé.” 

“You, uh, won’t. Please, it’s the least we can do.” 

Serah nodded. She didn’t look pissed about this. “It’s fine, we didn’t really want to spend our lunch there all day.” 

“Then spend it somewhere else.” Zack shrugged. “Don’t tay-ah-take care of a drunkard.” 

Hyun furrowed his brows. “Please, at least let us drop you off. Where do you live?” 

“Around here.” Zack showed them his phone. 

“Oh!” Serah’s eyes lit up. “There’s a great shopping district there!” 

Hyun smiled happily. “Then it’s decided. We’ll drop you off and then we’ll go shopping.” 

“Yay!” She clapped her hands together. “I can get a new bag!” 

The two chattered endlessly as they dragged Zack to the car. Once his body landed on the seats he threw his head back and fought the urge to sleep. He didn’t talk to them but just watched. The way they were was like how Zack and _him_ once were. Talking about nothing but feeling so happy about all of it. Laughing and teasing and smiling with each other. Suddenly that banter between the once-engaged had stopped and completely faded. He thought they had been enjoying comfortable silence, people who are getting married have to learn how to enjoy that, but… he was wrong it seems. It wasn’t a comfortable silence between a loving couple. It was a crushing weight that was killing them both slowly. 

He felt his head fog. Absentmindedly he pulled his phone out and messed around with it. He could barely hear the two talk, their voices suddenly low and solemn. 

“It’s… I wish you hadn’t agreed to this.” Hyun mumbled. 

Serah huffed. “Hyun, honestly, we both agreed this would be good for me. I need this for my career.” 

“But…” Zack was being pulled into a deeper sleep. Hyun’s voice sounded like it was coming through water. “-and seeing you with him is crushing.” 

“We can still be together after I marry.” 

“It’s not right though.” 

“We need this. Please.” Serah’s voice became terse. 

“But… the person you are around him… it’s not you-” 

The sweet embrace of deep sleep took control of him. He didn’t even know if what he heard was real or a dream. He didn’t really care either. 

~* 

“Zack? Zack?” He felt his body being shaken. “Hey you okay?” 

Zack opened his eyes slowly. “Mmmng?” He still felt buzzed. 

“We’re here.” Hyun smiled down at him. “Need help getting into your apartment?” 

“Mng… no.” His voice sounded like gravel. He could see Serah looking out the window, she looked sullen. He lifted his body up like a bag of sand and mumbled a thank you. “Have a guh…a good day.”

“Stay safe, Zack.” 

He waved goodbye and dragged himself towards his apartment. Luckily they had driven off by the time he entered the building. Once he managed to get to his room he collapsed onto his bed. Immediately his phone rang. 

“Seven…” He mumbled as he answered. 

“You okay? I just woke up and saw you collapse.” 

“M’fine.” He curled into his blankets. “Just a bit drunk.” 

“Drunk? It’s 2 in the afternoon.” The concern was appreciated. 

“Mmm.” He buried his face into his cold pillow. “Hey, have you ever ignored your body sho…so much that you didn’t notice it gettin’ beat up?” 

“I…uhm yeah. But…” 

“Poor thing.” He mumbled. “I’m sorry. I feel awful. I bet you have a bad thing you’re keeping hidden.” He rolled onto his back. “I’m awful. So awful.” He got up and went to his fridge. His body screamed for him to go back to bed, _that_ part of his mind however, encouraged him to keep going. It ridiculed him for thinking he had any right to act the way he did when people like Seven probably had it much worse.

So, to destroy himself more, he opened his beer in the fridge. 

He knew this thinking wasn’t right. Deep down he knew. But he couldn’t fight the fog of his mind. It was too comforting. 

“Zack… maybe you should stop.” 

“Tomorrow.” He chuckled. “Promise~♥.” Normally acting like this would get people to leave him alone. 

“But…” 

“Promise~♥. Let’s just keep this between us okay? I don’t want to ruin the image of the RFA by my problems.” 

“But Zack-” 

“Okay? It’s our~little~secret.” He said sweetly. 

“I…” Seven sighed. “A-As long as you keep your promise. Okay?” 

“Okie dokie!” He chirped happily as he downed the drink. “Thank you~♥!” 

“R-right.” 

Drinking beer either made Zack exhausted or flirty. Wine just made him a complete- well it doesn’t matter does it? 

“Then it’s a deal! Yay! Then I’ll let you do the things you have to!” His laugh was flighty. 

“No…I mean…” He sighed. “Never mind. Okay I’ll let you… rest.” 

“Yup.” Zack rubbed his temples. “Bye.” He didn’t wait for it. He just hung up and groaned. “Just for today, I’ll be bad just for today.” He smiled happily to himself. Nothing was going to ruin this high. 

His phone buzzed.

> **555-4343:** Zack, don’t do this. Okay? Please. 

He felt instantly sober as he read the text above it. His heart sped up, his hands felt clammy, his breathing became panicked. 

> **You:** I miss you. Please, can’t we try again? I love you so much so please, I’ll try harder. I’ll do better. I need you and I don’t want years of our love to just fizzle and fade. You’re my world. I need you to breathe and to feel. Please, just one more chance? I love you so damn much

He dropped his phone and ran to the restroom to vomit. 

_Oh god, what have I done?!  
_ **_You’ve done fucked up!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this a few times. I think I like this direction more. I know that what Zack is doing is bad and that he's defeating himself a lot. I also know that he isn't the only one to do that, frankly I do that quite often. But he's working towards mending.  
> Also the Sarah thing. I know she's supposed to be the secondary 'antagonist' and Chertiz even said she was kinda supposed to be a cliche character for laughs or whatever buuuut... I don't wanna do that. Lol I kinda like this approach.


	5. Day 2 Evening: Questions

He didn’t know how long he stayed there with his body pressed against the cold tile as the shower rained down on him. He must have been under the water for quite some time as all the heat was gone and was now freezing his skin and making his feet go numb. He just stared at the shower head while holding himself, completely lost in thought. He only blinked or moved when the water rolled down into his eyes. 

What bothered him most wasn’t that he texted You-know-who, it was that _he_ didn’t want to talk. Maybe if they just talked… Since when did talking become so damn hard? Sure talking isn’t totally easy but… still. He finally moved his eyes to his hands and slowly turned over the bruised flesh. His fingers were now all pruned, same went for his toes. He could feel his body tense every time the cold water ran down his back and against his genitals. Now that he was gaining his senses back he was starting to get more irritated. 

He stood up slowly and grunted as his back popped. His fingers felt gross and rubbery as he gripped the shower handle and turned off the water. He wrapped his towel tightly against his waist and dragged his fingers against the bruises feeling more of the ridges of finger pads then the pain. Softly, he flopped onto the bed and let his wet hair soak the pillow. 

When he eventually opened them again his phone was pinging. His body was now dryer and his fingers were back to their original smooth state. He sat up and noticed he had slept for only thirty minutes. Carefully he leaned back down and flinched at the cold, wet, feeling from his pillow. He unlocked his phone as he arched his back and reached under himself to pull off his towel. He did a small sit up as he pulled the pillow out from under his cold shoulders and tossed it aside to dry. Once he was settled, he opened the RFA app. He was actually going to browse Reddit but his fingers took him here. 

Once the app loaded he dragged his fingers against the bruises on his arm. 

> Zack has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **Jahee Kang:** Seven was especially hyper this afternoon 
> 
> **ZEN:** He said it was because he got to sleep  
>  **ZEN:** finally he takes a rest for himself.   
>  **ZEN:** But his maid lol
> 
> **Jaehee Kang** : Mary Vanderwood  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** What a strange name 
> 
> **ZEN:** It’s pretty fancy. 

He slowly dragged his fingers up to his shoulder as he eyed the chat. 

> **ZEN:** She’s a true beauty though~♥! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** ;;;;   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Zen, that’s a picture of Seven 
> 
> **ZEN:** What?   
>  **ZEN:** No lol! 
> 
> ZEN has left the chatroom 
> 
> **Jahee Kang:** Hello Zack 

He typed with one hand. 

> **Zack:** Hey, how’s it going? 
> 
> **Jahee Kang** : Busy as always.   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** But less so thanks to you

He nodded even though she couldn’t see him. 

> ZEN has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **ZEN** : omg…  
>  **ZEN:** what….  
>  **ZEN:** no   
>  **ZEN:** my eyes  
>  **ZEN:** my brain…   
>  **Zack:** And your confused dick
> 
> **ZEN:** NOOOOO!!!
> 
> **Zack:** you subconsciously want to sleep with Seven
> 
> **ZEN:** ARGGGHHH NO!   
>  **ZEN:** I don’t!!!! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** …. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Why did he have to crossdress… 
> 
> **Zack:** So you like maid uniforms?  
>  **Zack:** The secret comes out 
> 
> **ZEN:** Ugh… 
> 
> Jumin Han has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **ZEN:** Great. _You’re_ here 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** ? 
> 
> **Zack:** Hello, Jumin. 

Zack resumed his gentle strokes against his skin. If this were any other time this would seem rather sensual, right now though he was only observing the pain. 

> **Jumin Han:** I was just about to take a break. 
> 
> **ZEN:** chatting in here counts as a break? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang, you’re here
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, Mr. Han. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Why is it that you’re here every time I am? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** ?? I’m not sure sir. I think it’s just a coincidence. _  
> _**Jaehee Kang:** You can always check who’s in the chat before you come in. 
> 
> **ZEN:** lololol yeah, didn’t you see her icon before you logged in? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Is there such a feature? 
> 
> **Zack:** Just click the up arrow near the chat time. That’s where the icons are. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I see, where is that located? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Lol seriously? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han is not the best with technology. 
> 
> **Zack:** Example:Chat Log: 16:00 ^  
>  **Zack:** press the [ ^ ] icon. It shows who’s in the chat. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I see. 
> 
> Jumin Han has left the chatroom 
> 
> **ZEN:** lololol
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** As he said last time, even vending machines confound him. 
> 
> Jumin Han has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You were right.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Thank you Zack
> 
> **ZEN:** lololololololol 
> 
> **Zack:** No problem
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Now that we’ve settled that, I take it you don’t like it that I’m here? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** No I don’t
> 
> **ZEN:** Dang 
> 
> **Zack:** That’s a little harsh. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Is it?   
>  **Jumin Han:** I was only speaking my mind. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s fine to speak your mind but that’s too much. 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : Is it? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yes, it is. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** But as I said I was speaking my mind. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s just a bit rude Jumin. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Explain. 

Zack let out a frustrated sigh. 

> **ZEN:** Ugh it’s pointless Zack  
>  **ZEN:** You could write an entire essay and this jerk still wouldn’t get it
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I’m fine Zack ^_^   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** This happens very often 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** When I see her messages I feel like  
>  **Jumin Han:** her voice plays automatically   
>  **Jumin Han:** I think it’s enough hearing her voice at the office. 

Zack pressed his phone to his nose and rolled his eyes. 

> **Zack:** I still think it’s not nice.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Hmm I’ll give it more thought. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Isn’t it the same for Jaehee too?   
>  **ZEN:** I mean don’t you hear Jumin’s voice whenever he’s here? 
> 
> **Zack:** I have my thesis! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Do tell. 
> 
> **Zack:** I think it’s rude of you to say that because it’s not animosity you share between each other. Both of you just want to relax a little and chat with friends. Sure you work together but I feel like this place is a place where you remove your masks. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Masks? 
> 
> **Zack:** It depends on how you view life maybe (such as a game, a trial, purgatory, or nothing at all). I view it like a mask. We wear masks to conform to the situations or the people we’re with.   
>  **Zack:** For example, Jaehee has her work mask on when she addresses you in person or on the phone. But she can take that mask off and be herself here (I’m just assuming) and she gets to talk about the things she likes, like ZEN’s plays and etc. 
> 
> **Zack:** But at work that’d be a bit weird. I.E. she wears a mask, masking her likes and dislikes because she’s conforming to the situation she’s in.   
>  **Zack:** Maybe I didn’t explain that well. But, in conclusion, this place is just a place where y’all get the chance to relax and be yourselves. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I see.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Hmm 
> 
> **ZEN** : The idea of us wearing masks is kinda sad. 
> 
> **Zack:** Regardless, masks is something we just kinda do unconsciously.   
>  **Zack:** You can’t always be your true self. Sometimes you gotta be a suck up, sometimes you have to bite your tongue. It happens. It’s life, maybe. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Then you’re ultimately saying we should just tolerate each other being here. 
> 
> **Zack:** Ultimately, yes. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I still value honesty over all.
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Still, thank you for trying to ease the situation Zack. 

Zack sighed louder and rolled onto his stomach. The pain in his body caused him to grip his phone and raise his stomach. “Ugh…” 

> **Zack:** Hogg beard 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** ?   
>  **Jumin Han:** Is that supposed to be an insult? 
> 
> **ZEN:** lolol! 

Zack pressed his body down lower and breathed out slowly. 

> **Zack:** Sorry, I have bruises on my stomach and I was rolling over and my thumb was on my keypad. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Bruises? 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s just the manual labor. 
> 
> **ZEN:** how bad are they? 
> 
> **Zack:** pretty much covered in them actually. 
> 
> **ZEN:** What? I’ve done manual labor and you get the occasional one here and there
> 
> **Zack:** I’m just really clumsy. That’s all. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You should be more careful. 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks I will. 

Zack rubbed his temple left temple with his left hand. He was starting to get a headache. He pillowed his head with one arm and closed his eyes. 

_boop boop._

The text he sent to _him_ was still playing in his mind and the mixture of the shots of espresso from this morning mixed with the eight beers he had this afternoon was starting to make his stomach hurt. He grumbled under his breath and pressed his nose to the crook of his arm. “Why do I do these things to myself? I’m such an idiot. God! For hell’s sake! You’re supposed to be ignoring him and yet you _text_ him!?” He spoke aloud and let go of his phone. 

_Beep beep._

What was that noise? He grabbed his phone again. 

> **Zack:** Why do I do these things to myself I’m such an idiot God for hell’s sake you’re supposed to be ignoring him and yet you text him

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He grabbed his phone tightly. Voice-to-text was on… “Shit… what a shitty day!” 

He scrolled up to read what they were even talking about. It seemed Jumin had been going on about honesty and asked Jaehee if she didn’t like it when he was here. She made an excuse and left before she gave an answer. And then, there’s Zack stupid text. 

> **Zack:** Ignore that please. Sorry. 
> 
> **ZEN:** You okay man? 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s all good! Just was talking aloud and made a dumb mistake. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You seem rather angry. 
> 
> **ZEN:** You know we don’t mind if you need to talk. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s all good, don’t worry. Let’s all focus on potential party guests. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Zack, while I admire your tenacity to work, you cannot do a good job with these type of things weighing on your mind. 
> 
> **Zack:** I know I know, I’m working on it. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Sometimes you can’t just wait for things to disappear. Sometimes you need to talk it out.

Zack pressed his lips together tightly. 

> **Jumin Han:** I can provide you help and a party guest. I have someone I was thinking of inviting. This group is called Mind’s Eye. They are Freudian based but I admire their dedication and work. I’ve spoken with them myself. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Really? _You’ve_ been to a psychiatrist?
> 
> **Jumin Han:** It was mandatory after a particular business meeting. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yikes, did Jaehee have to go? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** No, this was a business strip out of country.   
>  **Jumin Han:** Anyways, I would like you to invite them and I suggest you should call them. They are located all over the world and they are the best of the best. 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks.   
>  **Zack** : Yeah, invite them. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Wow, even you can be considerate Jumin. I’m surprised. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I am always considerate. 
> 
> **ZEN:** hahahaha! That’s a funny lie you just said there.   
>  **ZEN:** if you were considerate you’d give Jaehee a day off 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : ?   
>  **Jumin Han:** From the moment we signed the contract on equal footing, her well-being is nothing for me to consider. You should know since you’ve signed contracts too.   
>  **Jumin Han:** The employer and the employee only have to abide what’s stated on the contract. 
> 
> **Zack:** But she’s still human. Don’t you give her PTO? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** She does earn that yes. 
> 
> **Zack:** Some companies even force employees to take a break.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** As I said
> 
> **Zack:** Stop right there.   
>  **Zack** : I get what you mean but still 
> 
> **ZEN:** I know you like honesty but you don’t know what it’s like to be facing your boss who can fire you. 
> 
> **Zack:** I get that you’re someone, Jumin, that doesn’t let emotions rule your actions.   
>  **Zack:** And I’m sure she knows that too.   
>  Zack: But there is still an underlying weight or fear in confronting your boss. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I am glad you understand.   
>  **Jumin Han:** And if you understand then I’m sure Assistant Kang does too.
> 
> **ZEN:** God you’re so frustrating.   
>  **ZEN:** I’m going to get back to rehearsing before I blow another braincell. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, do go. You only have so much. 
> 
> **ZEN:** 凸 (` △ ´ ＃ )  
>  **ZEN:** Ugh Zack run away while you can! 
> 
> **Zack:** Lol have a good rehearsal. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Thank you! And you stay positive okay? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah :)
> 
> ZEN has left the chatroom 

_ZEN 2 | Jumin 1, this games stupid_

> **Jumin Han:** I wonder, are you actually doing okay? 

He bit the bottom of his lip hard. 

> **Zack:** remember when you said cats have healing power? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I say it often. 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah. I at fist thought you just really loved cats and that was that. But then I was hanging out with the tabby and I felt that healing power you were talking about.   
>  **Zack:** And the bruises. I could see them, you know, but I couldn’t really _see_ them. It was like I knew they were there but I thought nothing of it. I don’t know how to explain it.   
>  **Zack:** I’ll talk to those psychiatrists.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I think that’s best. 
> 
> **Zack:** Okay, thanks for your help. I have a hangover so I’m going to sleep. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** It’s 4 Zack
> 
> **Zack:** I know. I’m sorry. 
> 
> Zack has left the chatroom 

~* 

Zack eventually decided to get dressed as it neared 5. He still had a hangover but it didn’t bother him as much as he thought. He just dimmed the lights and sent an apology text to Seven. He felt like his life was on haywire. Every hour he felt as if he was just walking on Lego’s and thumbtacks. He went to the bathroom and decided to give a hard look at his face. He was going to face the actions of how he was treating his body these past weeks.

What he saw in the reflection startled him. He pressed his fingers to the reflective glass and leaned forward. Carefully he put on his shaving cream and ran the razor against the coarse hair. Once he patted on the lotion to soothe the slight burn and itch he looked into his eyes. If he liked one thing about himself it was his eyes. They were a pretty blue with wisps of grey mixed in, but right now they just looked dark. The dark circles under his eyes told him just how often he had been staying up at night staring at the ceiling. It made sense that he had bruises in the first place. He recalled how reckless he was when he did clean up for the old couple. Little bumps here and there, the pain was there but he just had just been shrugging it off. 

Was that a sign of something? 

It had to be when the bruises were this dark. He just didn’t want to disappoint the Yi’s. Zack touched his sunken face and closed his eyes slowly. It was inevitable. He needed to make a mental change. He didn’t want to bother others but he ended up doing it anyways. He felt hurt that he let down the RFA. Sure he didn’t know them that well, but that didn’t change the fact that he was being so… depressing? Rude? Self-destructive? He didn’t know. 

Zack made his way back to his room and flopped back onto the bed. He looked over at the business card Hyun gave him and sighed. Maybe… he could also talk to him? Just as a friend. Zack winced as he remembered his thoughts when he was drinking. All of them involved some sort of sexual fantasy. “Ew.” He lifted the card and could smell a strong scent of vanilla. 

Poor Sarah, he felt bad for the girl. She was so guarded and constantly putting on heirs, it must be exhausting. 

His phone buzzed. Hannah. 

“Hey.” Zack yawned into the phone. 

“Are you dumb Zack?!” 

He sat up. “What’s wrong? What’d I do?” 

“You _texted him_!?” 

Zack groaned and fell back once more. “I was drunk.” 

“Even worse!” 

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Wait. How did you even find out?” 

“It’s a small town Zack, his boyfriend told Jason who told Eugene who told-“ 

“Alright alright.” Zack puffed out his cheeks. “I get it.” 

“Ugh, now you’re gonna be the towns gossip.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Who cares, let them talk. I’m not even there.” 

“Yeah but… Ever since they saw his ring at the pawn shop-“ 

“What?” Zack’s blood ran cold. 

“O-oh… you didn’t know?” 

“No… No I didn’t.” He laughed softly. “Wow he really didn’t want to marry me.” 

Hannah started crunching on ice, she did that when she was nervous. The thought of it made Zack’s skin crawl. “W-well… uhm… uh…” 

Zack chuckled. “Let’s just let it go.” He breathed out. “So how’s the pregnancy?” 

“Unexpected.” She sighed. “We’re just, you know, figuring things out. Terrance got promoted and I did too a few months back so we did some number crunching and once we saw the results we felt better. We have money so that’s one stress off our backs. Now it’s just telling Terrance’s parents.” 

“Yikes, they’re real old school yeah?” 

“Yeah. I’m talking _ooooold school_. The fact that we aren’t married, and we’ve been doing the devil’s tango, AND we got pregnant. Yeah. Not good.” She sighed. 

“You can do it Hannah, I know it’s sad to think they might flip out or shun him or you or—as stupid as it is—your child for that matter, uhm but… he loves you, he’ll be there for you two. If they want to miss out on their grandchild then that’s their damn fault.” 

“I know… But I would love my child to be surrounded by family.” 

“You and Terrance will shower that child with love, I know. It’s their fault if they let something as normal as this get in their way.” 

“Yeah… Hmph! Yeah! It’s going to be heartbreaking. It’s going to be tough on Terrance, but I’ll be there to support him.” She said determined. “Speaking of, look Zack, I know things have been hard but I really do hope you’re mending and moving on. And not in a ‘one night stand’ kind of way. I mean… I know that some people don’t mind it but… I know you Zack.” 

“I am moving on, I think. Actually an acquaintance of mine gave me a contact number to a psychiatrist. I’m thinking of giving them a call.” 

“Good! Yeah that’s a good idea!” She sounded relieved. “I went to one recently actually. I talked to them about the baby and Terrance and stuff. It felt good to just talk and get some advice.” 

“I’m glad you did that.” 

“Well what I’m saying is, you know me, I’m the type to think that problems are not meant to be shared. But I sucked it up and went to a place and everything felt great again!” 

“Yeah, I can hear it in your voice.” He smiled. 

“Good! Oh! Zack make sure you call your mom today or tomorrow or whatever the hell day it is there. She’s been asking about you but she says she doesn’t want to bother you.” 

“I will- wait isn’t it like three in the morning there? Why are you awake?” 

“It is… but I couldn’t sleep. So I decided to call you instead.” 

“Heh since no one else is awake?”

“Well that, and then the whole text message thing.” 

“Right…” 

“He’s pretty shaken by it.” 

“Oh. How do you know?” He rolled his wedding ring. 

“I follow his boyfriend on Instagram, for…well to stalk I guess? He went on a rant about some things and then later he showed a pic of _him_ and man… I just never’ve seen him look so pale.” 

“Oh.” _Am I really so bad? One text from me makes him so worried?_ “Can you… what’s his Instagram?” 

She lowered her voice. “Zack…” 

“Just, I think that-“ 

“No Zack! Come on! No!” 

“But-“ 

“Zack, that is a territory you should _not_ enter. I say ignore it! It’s for your own good to ignore it! Oh… whoah I feel woozy. I better let you go.” 

“O-oh! Yeah go go! Take care of yourself. Bye!” He sighed and pressed his phone to the curve of his nose. He just wanted this day to be over already. 

He looked up Instagram. _Let’s see… Hannah’s name was, right ColdSunshine._ He typed in her name and smiled as he saw her pictures. Baby booties, her and Terrance, they looked really happy. Having a baby seemed so scary. _Okay focus, now… following I think._ He didn’t use Instagram. After a bit of searching he looked through some faces that looked familiar. _That’s him!_ The tag name was LGarcia. _Luka Garcia!? Him? Really!?_ Not that Luka was bad or anything. He just… Zack and You-Know-Who would always try to be friends with Luka but he would just ignore them, back in high school at least. 

“So when did you?…” 

He scrolled through Luka’s photos. Yeah… there they were. Happy. So damn happy. The recent ones of course caught his attention. Hannah was right. There was a picture of _him_ looking at his phone, two shades lighter and looking terrified. 

“Why… What did I do to you? I thought… we loved each other.” 

He gripped his chest. 

There was a a video. His palms felt clammy as he clicked the video. 

“What the hell is wrong with some people!?” Luka was from the border town between Texas and Mexico, just like Zack. Unlike Zack though, he was tall, dark, and handsome. Luka was 6’4” or 193 cm, his hair was as dark as coal, and his skin was a warm clay color. Zack had a crush on him back in high school, now he just wanted to strangle him. “Sometimes things just end!” 

“Luka…” _He_ spoke softly from _their_ bed. 

Zack closed his phone. He sat up and felt himself panicking. He steadied his breathing before going back to the video.

“God, what a stupid thing to wake up to! This is why I tell you that we’re moving!” 

“Stop filming this Luka. Now.” _His_ voice went dark. The video ended. Seemed Luka didn’t feel so bad about posting it. The comments were a mixture of support and animosity. Small town syndrome, people take sides. _Oh, Hanah commented on this… nothing but a jab at_ _him_ _. I wish she would just stop, leave him alone and let’s just… forget everything._

All of this made his hangover scream even more. He was on the verge of having to rush to the restroom again. 

“Should I text him an apology? Maybe email him? What if he changes his number because of me?” Zack leaned back and scratched the back of his head. Before he made any decisions he got the email from Mind’s Eye. 

He mustered the strength to get to the computer and seek out the psychiatrists Jumin suggested. He tapped his fingers against the table as he scrolled through the names in the email. At least this group was prompt. The screen light and the steady hum of the A/C was slightly irritating, his body was suddenly hyper aware of his surroundings. He wasn’t going to dwell on it since this irritation and pain was the consequence of his actions. 

He read through each psychiatrists bio’s. Therapy huh… it _would_ be for the best. Moving far away didn’t fix anything, occupying his mind with labor only physically hurt his body, drinking made him make awful mistakes, sleeping with another person made him feel empty, even with the RFA— _new friends maybe?_ — he didn’t truly care about them or their cause. Not really.

He wrote and deleted five emails before finally finding the courage to hit send. His hands clammed up as he eyed the bottom right hand of the screen: [Sent! Press Undo to revert message]. He hovered his mouse over it for a small second. But he didn’t click it. He went to his “Sent” box and read over the email. 

‘Hello, 

My named is Zachary Dominic Rein. I am 23 years old and I need to speak with someone. 

About two months ago I was set to be engaged to my childhood friend/ high school sweet heart. We had been friends for nearly 16 years. A week before the wedding my partner cheated on me, called off the wedding, and moved on rather quickly. After a one night stand I was advised by a friend to take a long trip. I’ve been away from quite some time but I can’t seem to even find the first step to move on. I was recommended to you by a co-worker. I know it’s unprofessional to ask you for help by using the RFA email, I understand that I could have used my personal one, but I really do need your help, mentally I think I’m on the verge of losing it. 

Please, I’m not sure how to word this, but please help me.’ 

He rolled his shoulders and leaned back in his chair. He stared at the screen for a long while, looking at the mail he had sent to these ‘party guests’. He wanted to help the RFA, they seemed nice enough. But he knew he couldn’t do that yet. He needed time. Zack had stared at the screen as it darkened then filled with little bubbles then turned completely black. He stared at his reflection, eyes unfocused, as he thought about all that was going on. 

Even though he thought they were nice and even though he was getting a grasp on who these people were, he still didn’t really trust them. Not yet. What kind of people give some random guy a free apartment? Sure he was being monitored but apparently only two people—three if you counted the mysterious person who sent him here—knew of this place. Actually, what was up with that? He didn’t fully think much about anything because free apartment and everything but now that he was seriously giving this all some thought… 

Argh! It just made his head hurt more! 

Zack shook the mouse and squinted at the intrusive computer light before opening Google. He typed in the RFA’s name in one tab, V’s in another, then Jumin, Rika, Jaehee, Seven, and finally ZEN.

Firstly: The RFA (Rika’s Fundraising Association) had apparently held around 4 parties garnering a total of half a million dollars in charity funds —that is, if you converted the money to USD. Each charity party was rather vague, shady actually. The RFA parties were rather extravagant. Each venue was held in a high-class hotel ballroom. Important figures, celebrities, entrepreneurs, and random clubs from all over the world attended to the black and white event. Even that Hell’s Kitchen chef attended and gave a gold star to the food! Geez. So what was so special about the RFA?

Secondly: The RFA promoted that they would sell one-of-a-kind photographs from V. From that Zack looked into the mysterious photographer. V, real name unknown, had made his debut around six years ago. Of what was on the internet V’s photos were pretty good. Zack wasn’t art savvy but he even felt moved by what he saw. So maybe that was how the RFA got so popular? If they had named it V’s Fundraising Association that would make more sense. Right? Or maybe when word got out the V was selling his work people immediately jumped? But, was V so famous? It seemed like he was more famous in certain cities in South Korea, not so much outside of the country. So how did they make such an impact? 

Thirdly—and Zack had done this earlier—: Jumin was the son of some CEO guy whose name he couldn’t read. C&R seemed to have gotten its money from investing. The previous CEO, probably Jumin’s great great great grandfather, then used the money from his investments to grow the company. Currently they have three major buildings. The home building that was about an hour away by bus from Zack’s current location, a branch building in London, and a branch building in New York. 

Jumin’s dad seemed to also be quite the hot topic here. While there was no scandal that involved the company, it seemed that his father was pretty loose with women. Every few months he seemed to have a new woman, and this had been happening since Jumin was a kid, if Zack’s math was right. Jumin’s fame came from his financial status, his name, and his looks. He was in quite a few rich magazines and countless interviews. After reading a few they were… well boring. Jumin only answered simply, nothing he said seemed to pull the gossip people were looking for. 

Okay, so maybe the chance to do business with Jumin was incentive enough to make people attend the parties. But that still begs the question, why Rika’s name? There was nothing on her, not even her engagement to V. It was like she didn’t exist. Searching for her was pointless. 

The search on Jaehee didn’t garner much either. All he found out was that she was valedictorian in her college and won some kind of judo thing. That was all. It was impressive but it wasn’t what he was looking for right now. 

Obviously a search on Seven didn’t bring up anything, Zack wasn’t surprised by that though. 

The search on ZEN brought up only fan pages, tumblr blogs, and Youtube videos. He was talented, Zack would give him that, but other than a few small foreign blogs ZEN wasn’t an international star. Far from it in fact. He wasn’t even a national star. So ZEN’s presence wouldn’t be a shining point for the RFA. 

Just for a quick look, he typed in Yoosung’s name, it was too common for any kind of information. Even after a bit of digging he couldn’t find a single thing on him. 

Zack tapped his fingers on the keyboard and sighed. All this did was lead to more questions then answers. 

  * Why name this association after Rika? 
  * What exactly were they raising money for? 
  * With the money they raised, where did it go? 
  * Why invite people from outside the country? 
  * What is the _real_ purpose of the RFA? 
  * Why not put the charity under C&R? 
  * If they didn’t put it under C&R’s name then was there something shady going on? 
  * For what purpose would they need a hacker and not a programmer? (He didn’t know if there was a difference) 
  * Why would they need such a secured apartment? 
  * What is Rika hiding in this apartment? 
  * Why would they need such a secure chat room? 
  * If everything is so secure why hire Zack, an outsider? 
  * Why would some random strangers force him into this? 



Zack gripped his head and blew out a sharp exhale. Such a damn headache. He wasn’t going to rest his weary mind until he got these answers. Free apartment be damned, he wanted to make sure this whole deal wasn’t a joke. Seven gave everyone the okay on him, but now it was his turn. 

Such an annoyance all of this was. Dealing with his breakup _and_ having to worry about this whole RFA thing was tiresome. But he knew he needed to get answers on the latter urgently. It was better to do it now instead of getting into a pickle later.   
Zack has entered the chatroom 

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Hi! 

_ Perfect, cinnamon boi was going to make this interrogation rather easy.  _

> _ **** _ **Zack:** Hi
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** are you feeling better?
> 
> **Zack:** No.   
>  **Zack:** Can I ask you some questions about the RFA? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Sure!  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** But, do you want to get some rest? I don’t want you to strain yourself. 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks, but I’m okay right now. I took a nap and I’m gonna take some pills soon. 

_Sorry Yoosung, I’m going to have to be bad cop on you. It’s too late to run now, love._

> **Zack:** I was looking in on the RFA.   
>  **Zack:** So what charity/charities have you raised funds for? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** We do multiple charities. 
> 
> **Zack:** Can you name a specific one? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** One that I really enjoyed, which was about three years ago, was for PAAA, People Against Animal Abuse ^_^ 
> 
> Zack immediately looked it up. _Weird… PAAA’s website… it looks fake_. 
> 
> **Zack:** So the funds you raised went specifically to them? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Half of it did. The other half went to Sunshine Orphanage. 

Again he looked it up. Incriminating… 

> **Zack:** Why specifically Sunshine? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Rika was passionate about that place.   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** we all worked really hard to help Sunshine. 
> 
> **Zack:** So the funds were divided between PAAA and Sunshine? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yup! That was the year Jumin brought his cat… 
> 
> **Zack:** If you gave funds to them, where was the announcement? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** What? 
> 
> **Zack:** Sunshine shut down four years ago, they gave a statement thanking the organizations and Go Fund Me patrons, but the RFA is never mentioned. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Oh, I didn’t know they had shut down.   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** But, we had earned a lot of money.   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Maybe they forgot
> 
> **Zack:** If you earned them a lot of money then how could they forget? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Well   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** I don’t understand what you’re trying to get at here 
> 
> **Zack:** You bring in a lot of people to these parties, you seem to take in quite a few funds, yet there is no acknowledgement of said money by these charities. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** We

He wondered if Yoosung was starting to panic. 

> **Zack:** Did the funds go to a charity Yoosung? Or are they going somewhere else? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Are you implying  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** We would never embezzle funds! 
> 
> **Zack:** Then where’s the evidence? Why is your foundation so vague? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Rika wantfed to heljp people! 

He’s panicking alright. This only made Zack’s headache worse. He was starting to get worried about all of this. 

> **Zack:** Where is the evidence Yoosung? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I can give you a list of all the places we helped! 
> 
> **Zack:** then do it. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I’ll email it! 
> 
> **Zack:** Good, then while you’re doing that you can answer my other questions. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Fine, and I’ll prove it to you that the RFA is filled with good people! 
> 
> **Zack:** Perhaps you’re all good people but were you founded on good intentions? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yes! 
> 
> **Zack:** Why name the RFA after Rika? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** What? 
> 
> **Zack:** If Rika’s goal was to help people, why name it after herself? 

In Zack’s opinion, it was rather vain.

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I don’t see what’s wrong with that! 
> 
> **Zack:** Why not after V? Or associating itself with C&R? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Because it was Rika’s dream to help others! 
> 
> **Zack:** Was she famous? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** No, she was just a kind person who wanted to help others
> 
> **Zack:** Then how did she get such fantastical people to her party? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Rika is good with persuasion! She’s good with words! 
> 
> **Zack:** She was good with persuasion? Persuading people to do what? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Not like that!   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** People could sense her kind heart! They believed in her cause! 
> 
> **Zack:** And what’s her cause? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** To help others! 
> 
> **Zack:** How? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** How? By helping them! Raising funds and helping them! 
> 
> **Zack:** The statement doesn’t match the evidence Yoosung. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** I am emawilnhg ir!!! 
> 
> **Zack:** She wasn’t a famous person. If you look her up you get the RFA but that’s it. Her name isn’t associated with V.   
>  **Zack:** Articles on the RFA discuss the party but the mentions end there. No organization speaks of it, no magazine, nothing. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** We aren’t doing this for fame. 
> 
> **Zack:** This isn’t about fame Yoosung. The checks you all make are never mentioned. The hard work you all did is never mentioned. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I don’t have access to the treasury. That information is held by V and Seven. 
> 
> **Zack:** Is that right?   
>  **Zack:** Did you ever see your group hand a check over to your supposed charities? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Well no… but we’re not thieves!   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** What is this? Do you really think we’re like that!? 
> 
> **Zack:** I believe I have a right to get some answers
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** We’ve been nothing but kind to you
> 
> **Zack:** And I thank you for that.   
>  **Zack:** But I’ve learned that no matter how nice someone is they can still stab you in the back  
>  **Zack:** You an trust someone with all your heart and they’ll still hurt you  
>  Zack: My questioning isn’t unwarranted. I believe I deserve some answers. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** But you’re just attacking everything 
> 
> **Zack** : Here, to make things even you answer my questions then I’ll answer yours.   
>  **Zack:** While I get you’re feeling heated, I would prefer it if you took a deep breath and answered rationally.   
>  Zack: I am not attempting to attack this group. I simply want answers to something that seems a little shady. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Fine! I’ll prove it that we aren’t shady! I sent that email 
> 
> **Zack:** I see it, I’m looking into it now.   
>  **Zack** : Well, seeing as I asked quite a lot of questions, you can now ask me some. Firstly, take a deep breath and cool off. 

As he waited for Yoosung’s incoming questions, he looked into the charities provided. He was shaking in slight fear as to what Yoosung would ask, but… if Yoosung would scratch his back then he’d scratch his. 

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Then, why are you really here? 
> 
> **Zack:** I am running away from my problems. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** That’s not fair. You say we’re vague but what about you? 
> 
> **Zack:** Touché.   
>  **Zack:** Fine, it’s only fair. 

He took a deep breath. His hands shook as he tried to type. Telling them… somehow made him want to cry. He refused to give in to the tears. 

> **Zack:** I was set to be married two months ago, a week before my marriage my partner cheated on me. 

There was a long pause. Zack kept glancing at his phone as he typed in the charity names. His stomach knotted, his hands were sweating, he felt severely sick. He could feel what was left of the contents of his stomach creep up like acid into his throat. 

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** So you came here? 
> 
> **Zack:** I couldn’t stand being at home so I was offered an opportunity to stay here for a bit. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** But then something happened right? And now you’re here. 
> 
> **Zack:** The owners of the place I was staying at needed their house back. I went to a hotel but I didn’t have the funds for it though.   
>  **Zack:** It’s my turn.   
>  **Zack:** The places you gave me. Based on the timeline you added the first two charities you supported mentioned the RFA, none of the others do. Why? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** : Rika wasn’t one to seek praise like that. 
> 
> **Zack:** Can you confidently say that these charities received the money? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yes. She would never do that. Rika was an amazing person. 
> 
> **Zack:** What about V? 

Four minutes passed. 

> **Yoosung** **★** : He wouldn’t steal money. 
> 
> **Zack:** And Seven? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** No! He may be quirky and weird, but he’s not a criminal!   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** It’s my turn. What did you do before you came here? 
> 
> **Zack:** I was an assistant to a lawyer.   
>  **Zack:** Specifically a lawyer who specialized in financial claims. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** No wonder.   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Why did you get fired?
> 
> **Zack:** The lawyer…

He sighed. 

> …I worked for was my ex fiancés mother. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** : Oh
> 
> **Zack:** What is the purpose of this apartment? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** It held information on the guests. Personal information I guess. 
> 
> **Zack:** For what purpose would you need such detailed information?   
>  **Zack:** Was it for blackmail? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Never!   
>  **Yoousng** **★** : But I don’t know why…

There was a long pause once more. Zack sighed. Yoosung seemed dedicated to this group. He was feeling only a little bad about interrogating him but he needed the answers. Unfortunately all this tension had only harmed him more. 

> **Zack:** I need to go. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** But you still suspect us! 
> 
> **Zack:** Sorry.   
>  **Zack:** Literally gonna vomit.   
>  **Zack:** Bye
> 
> Zack has left the chatroom. 

~* 

This day was just pure annoyance. As Zack rested his head against the edge of the toilet dry heaving, he reflected on the events of today. 

He hadn’t slept well, it was ungodly hot today, he was bruised and exhausted, he drank way to much way to early, he texted his ex for them to get back together, he reached out for help, and now he was questioning the RFA. What a day. He never felt like he had done so much before. As he groaned into the toilet he felt as if he seriously had hit rock bottom. His mind could barely focus on one subject. He thought about the text, his ring, the RFA, Luka and _him_ , Hannah and her baby, the Yi’s… He prayed for a moment of peace. 

It really did feel like one thing after another. Like everything was on massive overdrive. This was what got him hurt in the first place. Zack, lifted his head and hurled once more. His stomach, which evicted nothing but bile now, was cramping from the excessive heaving. Each purge only intensified the pain of the bruises. Weakly, Zack was finally able to stand. He gripped the side of the sink and grabbed his tooth brush. The taste of mint was not appreciated, it only made his stomach churn more. 

After tossing the toothbrush into the trash he wetted a washcloth and went back to bed. With a relieved sigh he elevated his legs with some pillows from the couch and gently placed the washcloth on his forehead. The coolness of it felt so comforting. He tried to let his mind wander but to no avail. He could feel the furrow of his brow as he jumped from the topic of _him_ to the RFA. Both frustrated him. 

Zack glanced at his phone to see someone was calling him. He forgot he had put it on silence at one point. He reached for it slowly and twitched as he read the name. 

“Hi Seven…” His voice sounded like sandpaper. 

“Zack… Wait, I have Jumin on the other line, I told him I’d do a conference call.” There was a pause. “Okay, you’re on Jumin.” 

“Zack, it seems you have some serious concerns.” 

“Yeah.” He croaked. He would get water but he’d only throw it up. 

“Are you free?” Seven asked. 

Zack closed his eyes and sighed. “Yeah.”

“In regards to the finances, I do not appreciate you assuming that we’ve stolen funds.” Jumin sounded… scary. Seems even the great Jumin could get pissed off. 

If he were feeling better he’d put up an argument, but as of now Zack only answered with a quiet, “Sorry.” 

Seven didn’t sound any better, he just sounded heartbroken. “I have the numbers Zack. You can look at them.” 

“I’ll look at them later.” 

“You will look at them **_now_**.” Jumin ordered. 

Zack swallowed, it was like he had eaten gravel. “O-okay.” He tried to open his eyes but he was too exhausted. “I can’t.” 

“Luciel, what is he doing right now?” 

Seven mumbled, “Laying on the bed…” 

“ ** _Zachary._** ” 

Zack flinched. He begged his body to get up but to no avail, he couldn’t move. “I’m sorry… I just threw- purged. I just can’t move right now.” Talking was only exhausting him more. Angry Jumin wasn’t something that he wanted to deal with. Zack gave his body one last command, screaming for one last second wind. Finally, he opened his eyes. “I’m getting up…” He pulled the phone away and winced as he sat up. He grunted and gripped his sore stomach. 

“…you…Zack?” He could hear Seven’s voice in his phone. 

“I’m fine.” Zack breathed out. “Just give me a minute.” 

“Well… don’t push yourself.” Seven’s voice… why was it so sorrowful? Probably because Zack was attacking the RFA so harshly. 

Zack managed to get off the bed and shuffled to his desk. “Ah… wait.” He put the phone down and ran to the bathroom. This was his fault, he knew. If he hadn’t been an idiot and drank- “Ow…” He gripped his sides. “God…” He had to grip the sink to pull himself up. What a pathetic sight he was. He washed his mouth and dragged himself back to the desk, only now did he realize the room was a complete blur. “Um hold on…” He looked around for his glasses. 

“They’re in the left hand drawer.” Seven chuckled. 

Helpful, but a little jarring. “Thanks.” Now that he was all set he opened his email. “Give me a minute.” He pulled out his calculator and starter to crunch the numbers. His mind was not up for this. After a good thirty minutes and running through it four times Zack found that the numbers did add up. Still, something didn’t feel right. However, he didn’t have the evidence to back up his claims; Jumin wouldn’t appreciate a gut feeling right now. Especially when that gut was empty and sensitive. 

Seven broke the silence. “You see?” 

“Yes, I see.” 

“Then now you know that the RFA does not swindle funds.” Jumin said sharply. 

Zack wasn’t so sure. “Yes.” He leaned his elbows on the table. “But that still doesn’t explain this apartment.” 

“As V and Yoosung said, Rika held important information on the guests.” Jumin reiterated. 

“But… how important? Numbers? Email addresses? What’s so important that not even _you_ are entrusted with its location?” 

“Rika had gathered classified information that could be used against the RFA and its guests. She valued the privacy of her guests. I do not question V or Rika’s decision on that.” Jumin said simply. 

“Well maybe you should.” Zack snapped. 

There was a pause. He was sure he was about to get yelled at. “ ** _Zachary_** , if there is a problem you best tell it now.” 

“Rika,” Seven spoke up, “never specified to us, but… it’s just RFA accounts, emails, numbers, favorite foods and the likes are all stored there. It was information that she had gathered on our guests. I had set up the apartment for her, but I never totally asked for the exact details. I just… the details I do know I can say it’s perfectly legal.” Zack would believe that if Seven didn’t sound so strained. 

“Is that information still here?” 

“Yes, but you can’t get to it.” 

Zack wouldn’t push why since they would keep it from him no matter what. “I-” 

“Zachary,” Jumin cut in, “if you doubt us so much then perhaps it would be better for you to leave the organization.”

True, it would make sense for Zack to leave. “I… don’t I have a right to ask questions?” 

“It’s not like that…” Seven mumbled. 

“You do, but I will not condone plugging your ears and refusing to accept the facts.” Jumin said. 

Zack closed his email. He’d need to look at it later with a clearer head. “I’m sorry I upset you guys but… you can’t blame me for trying to understand who you guys are. You were never entirely clear on anything. And I think that if you guys were allowed to dig into my background then I’m allowed to dig into the RFA’s background.” 

“Well, that’s fair.” Seven tried to sound chipper. “Right Jumin?” 

“Look, when I first came here,” Zack rubbed his nose, “I explicitly said that I wasn’t a bad person, but you guys still suspected me. You made sure that you knew everything about me before finally giving each other the thumbs up. The situation is rather similar, right? You all are telling me that your organization does good work, what’s wrong with me trying to make sure you all are legit?” 

Jumin sighed. “I agree…” 

“Jumin, I’ll back off. It seems that none of you hold the answers that truly bother me.” O _r you’re hiding things,_ “Except V that is. But it seems he won’t be here for quite some time. So… I’ll look at the information you _can_ provide me, and I’m going to do my research.” 

“Well, while I admire your tenacity,” Jumin sighed, “I do hope you seek the full truth before you start your accusations.” The timber in his voice made Zack feel a little fearful.

“You sound like… you’re threatening me.” 

“Smart man.” 

“Tsk.” 

Seven clapped his hands together. “I think we should stop torturing our mystery man, don’t you Jumin? I don’t care how he got so sick, it doesn’t matter, we should let him rest.” 

“I do hope, Zachary,” Jumin kept the same threatening timber, "that you don’t let these hard times effect your work. That is, _if_ you stay in the RFA.” 

_Yikes_. “You don’t need to take that _tone_ with me **_Mr. Han_**. A man like you would _never_ lose his cool when someone doesn’t take his word as _law,_ right? Surely, you would be more _professional_ than that.” 

“People who do not listen to me and my wisdom tend to fall off the ladder before they even take the first step.” 

“It must be pretty lonely up there.” 

“Okay!” Seven interjected. “Let’s just hang up now. Zack, please take it easy. You really should eat something.” 

“I’m going to sleep.” 

“Okay, sleep well.” Seven sighed through his nose. “Then, bye.” 

“Good day.” Jumin hung up. 

~* 

It was nearing 10:30 when Zack awoke from a heat induced nightmare. His body felt sticky and was covered in a sheen layer of sweat. When he lifted himself from the covers, which he hadn’t even crawled under, he could feel the fabric stick to his back. Every crevice of his body started to prickle as another layer started to accumulate on his body. The A/C was on, he didn’t know why he was burning up so harshly. 

He pressed a hand to his chest as he tried to calm his breathing. He had dreamt that he was driving on the mountainside listening to all his favorite songs on the radio. The breeze of his rolled down windows had felt fresh and inviting. He could smell only nature. As he bobbed his head to the music he noticed a dead deer on the side of the road. The body had been hit gruesomely; from the speed he was going all he could see were the ribs sticking out. As he continued down he saw another dead animal that looked like a raccoon. The body had been run over so many times that its stomach was practically nonexistent. The music from his playlist started to distort. Suddenly the air felt heavy, it was like smog had settled in and he couldn’t breathe. A semi passed by him filling his lungs with the intrusive black smoke of gasoline. As he fought to find his breath he saw one final animal. 

_Butty!_ he had noticed the cat right away. Near Butty’s deceased body, freshly mangled, _the semi!_ , he noticed Elizabeth. He could tell it was her by the white fur. She was eating Butty’s stomach, pulling his guts out like they were toys. She looked up, her face was distorted but he could tell it was bloodied. Her blue eyes looked into his own. She looked over at the road, Zack did the same. 

_Shit!_ There had been a turn he didn’t see. He gripped the wheel so harshly his knuckles tore and bled. The car zipped past Elizabeth, he could tell he hadn’t hit her, and drove right through the barricade. The car was midair for only two seconds before it took a nose dive towards the rocky ground. Zack gripped the wheel tighter, his stomach tightened at the feeling of the drop. He clenched his teeth and looked into the rearview mirror. 

_Mom! Dad!_ They were staring at him from the road. His mother collapsed to the floor and screamed. His father clutched his heart and collapsed off the side of the mountain tumbling down. His mother tried to grab him but she couldn’t. Zack looked back towards his impending doom. He saw his wedding ring fly into the windshield causing it to crack. Just as he heard the crunching of metal on rock Zack awoke.

Zack staggered to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He gripped his arms as he stepped under the water. The image of the dead animals, Butty, Elizabeth, all of it was burned into his mind. He lathered his hair in shampoo as he played the dream over and over and over again in his head. His mother… God her scream was too real. 

Once he finished he went to his fridge and kicked himself for buying such shitty food. Luckily he had crackers in the pantry. Though the dream made his body go cold, he couldn’t ignore the intense hunger. He wouldn’t challenge his body yet, he wanted to—for once in a long time— take care of himself. He got himself a bottle of water and made his way back to his bed. His phone was lighting up. The RFA. 

Thank goodness that today was almost over. He just wanted all of this to disappear. With hesitation he opened the app. Oh, it was ZEN. Well… as long as they didn’t talk on the phone it’d be okay. But… did he even want to talk to these guys anymore? He felt like he had made everything a total shit show. 

> **ZEN:** Hey Zack
> 
> **Zack:** Hi
> 
> **ZEN:** How you feeling? 
> 
> **Zack:** bad
> 
> **ZEN:** Shouldn’t you be resting? 
> 
> **Zack:** I had a nightmare
> 
> **ZEN:** You want to talk about it? 
> 
> **Zack:** No thanks. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Okay

They didn’t talk for ten minutes. 

> **ZEN:** You know  
>  **ZEN:** I don’t blame you
> 
> **Zack:** Pardon? 
> 
> **ZEN:** I mean, for everything 
> 
> **Zack:** Really? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah, really   
>  **ZEN:** I don’t blame you for doubting us, I don’t blame you for drinking, I don’t blame you period.   
>  **ZEN:** To me, when we met you, we all saw you as some ethereal person or something  
>  **ZEN:** Like, because you were in Rika’s place we just assumed you were going to help us with open arms.   
>  **ZEN:** And I think that was dumb of us. 
> 
> Zack: I’m not mad at you guys for that  
>  **Zack:** Because you all got excited and hopeful. There’s nothing wrong in that.   
>  **Zack:** You were just happy
> 
> **ZEN:** Thanks  
>  **ZEN:** But still  
>  **ZEN:** Jumin had posted, I guess it was mostly for Yoosung, that he gave you all the facts  
>  **ZEN:** And he added that we shouldn’t get our hopes up that you’ll stay.  
>  **ZEN:** And when I read it I just kept thinking  
>  **ZEN:** that we shoved so much onto you without ever fully explaining ourselves.   
>  **ZEN:** I tried to figure out why and I think it’s because we just thought something like   
>  **ZEN:** “He’s an outsider. All he needs to know is how to get party guests. He’ll learn along the way”  
>  **ZEN:** But that wasn’t realistic thinking
> 
> **Zack:** I shouldn’t had pressed Yoosung like that.   
>  **Zack:** I knew that…

He looked down feeling slightly guilty. 

> …out of all of you guys, he’d break the fastest
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh
> 
> **Zack:** I didn’t mean to be such a dick
> 
> **ZEN:** I don’t think you were a dick per say.   
>  **ZEN:** I think you have been having a frustrated time and that you’re human.   
>  **ZEN:** I’m sorry you know.   
>  **ZEN:** About your wedding. 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s okay 
> 
> **ZEN:** I know that in two hours you’ll have been a member for only two days, so it’s early for me to say this but  
>  **ZEN:** When we first met I thought, “Nice, a collected guy. Cool! He’ll bring in all the guests. It’ll be so much fun!”   
>  **ZEN:** I feel like we all forgot you’re a person too.   
>  **ZEN:** Cuz, I mean, I think we knew something with you was up because you avoided some subjects and the whole voice-to-text thing…  
>  **ZEN:** But I think we just kinda ignored that.   
>  **ZEN:** Honestly I feel like we just saw you as a name on a screen. 
> 
> **Zack:** You mean like a disconnect? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah, I’m not sure how to explain it. 
> 
> Zack: I think I get it  
>  **Zack:** It’s like when people are assholes online right?   
>  **Zack:** It’s so easy to be hateful or to speak your mind because it’s not one to one, it’s a computer screen with letters or characters that make up a sentence. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah, since we’re not face to face I just can’t  
>  **ZEN:** I dunno 
> 
> **Zack:** You can’t connect to a random profile pic. You don’t even have a face so you can’t create the connection that a real person is writing back to you, a person with their own free will and thoughts. It doesn’t help that none of you know what I look like right? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Right heh… 
> 
> Zack: I feel the same way.   
>  **Zack:** When I type to you all I don’t even think ‘Oh they’re people too’, I just type what’s on my mind.   
>  **Zack:** Which makes me feel more cold in a way. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Right! That’s kinda how it is.   
>  **ZEN:** But, after reading your chat with Yoosung I just   
>  **ZEN:** I felt so pissed off.   
>  **ZEN:** I mean about your ex, shit man
> 
> **Zack:** It’s okay
> 
> **ZEN** : I don’t think it is!   
>  **ZEN:** I mean come on, one week before the wedding!? What a fucking asshole!  
>  **ZEN:** If I were you, I probably wouldn’t even give a shit about our cause as the RFA either
> 
> **Zack:** When you guys first described it  
>  **Zack:** I saw it as something to distract me. I thought it’d do me some good to do some charity work. I didn’t really care, I just wanted to exhaust myself  
>  **Zack:** I guess I didn’t realize I’ve been slowly killing myself these past few months  
>  Zack: And now that I’m wanting to make a change I started questioning everything. Like I had some sort of clarity or something. 
> 
> **ZEN:** I saw what you said to Jumin after I left, the whole thing that you didn’t even see yourself getting hurt  
>  **ZEN:** I’ve been there before too  
>  **ZEN:** In a particularly bad part of my life I didn’t even realize that my body was breaking down  
>  **ZEN:** All I thought was: move move move! Keep moving! If you’re not moving then you’re worthless! 
> 
> **Zack:** I feel that way now, I think  
>  **Zack:** I honestly don’t know.   
>  Zack: You know, I feel weird that I’m talking to you so casually. Considering everything. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Just because you doubt the RFA doesn’t mean I’m going to shun you.   
>  **ZEN:** I get it. And like I said I don’t blame you. 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks
> 
> **ZEN:** If you ever want to talk we can
> 
> **Zack:** Okay  
>  **Zack:** but not on the phone.   
>  Zack: Sorry but your voice, it sounds like my exes
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh?   
>  **ZEN:** OH!!  
>  **ZEN:** That’s why you hung up so suddenly right? I’m so sorry! I thought my voice had enchanted you  
>  **ZEN:** Turns out it was the opposite ;;;
> 
> **Zack** : lol it’s cool  
>  **Zack:** It’s not like you were supposed to know
> 
> **ZEN** : Can I ask you something?
> 
> **Zack:** Sure
> 
> **ZEN:** What’s your ex doing now? 
> 
> **Zack:** Living it up with his new boyfriend 
> 
> **ZEN:** God   
>  **ZEN:** What an asshole. 
> 
> **Zack** : I guess
> 
> **ZEN:** You guess!?   
>  **ZEN:** Don’t defend him!
> 
> **Zack:** I’m not.   
>  **Zack:** I was livid believe me  
>  **Zack:** But now, I’m not going to make my own conclusions.   
>  Zack: I think. I dunno 
> 
> **ZEN:** Did you contact those people from Jumin? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yes, which makes me feel awful on how I’ve been pretty much badmouthing the RFA
> 
> **ZEN:** Don’t put so much blame on yourself
> 
> **Zack:** Still, he was being kind and I took his help and then turned around and slapped all you guys in the face.   
>  **Zack:** I just can’t wait for midnight. I feel like I’ll get a fresh start tomorrow.
> 
> **ZEN:** For sure  
>  **ZEN:** After a good nights rest and a day off you’ll feel much better!   
>  **ZEN:** Shit  
>  **ZEN:** I want to chat more  
>  **ZEN:** director calling 
> 
> **Zack:** Don’t keep him waiting. Thanks for everything 
> 
> **ZEN:** Let’s talk more later  
>  **ZEN:** Ciao! 
> 
> ZEN has left the chatroom 
> 
> _Damn._

~* 

After having a whole sleeve of crackers, Zack was now back on his bed trying to get himself to sleep. The effects of his bender were still lingering but at least he was able to keep all the contents of his stomach now. He curled himself up in his homemade comforter and looked out into the dark sky. He could see a few stars tonight. Outside it looked so crisp, the news had said that they expected some rain further in the week. This was perfect, he figured, because he believed that rain was a sign of renewal. The day he learned of _his_ infidelity it had been raining. The day he got here it had been raining. Now this week there was prediction of rain. This had to be a sign that things were going to change again. Hopefully, this time it’ll be for the better. 

He touched the window and dragged his fingers on the cold glass. “Needs to be cleaned.” He mumbled. Maybe tomorrow he’d go out and buy healthy groceries. If he was going to start making changes he was going to do it head on. A psychiatrist could only do so much, Zack wanted to start taking initiative. If _he_ was moving on so smoothly, then he was going to do it too. He was only 23, he still had his life ahead of him. 

His time here in SK was going to end soon. He wanted to return home with triumph. He planned in his head how’d it go: 

  1. Go to therapy
  2. Learn about RFA
  3. If 2 is successful throw a charity party (Choose charity?) 
  4. If 2 is unsuccessful then find place to stay and work for Yi’s (working for them regardless) 
  5. Make friends
  6. Find job
  7. Confront _him_ about everything 
  8. Sell ring 



Exactly. This was going to be  his month. The month of Zack. 

He opened his phone feeling a sudden swell of giddiness and unconsciously opened the RFA app. 

> Zack has entered the chatroom
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Zack 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Oh 
> 
> Zack has left the chatroom

He closed out of the RFA app. _Balls_. Seeing Yoosung’s username made him feel awkward. He took a deep breath and logged back in. 

> Zack has entered the chatroom
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Perhaps he does wish to leave the RFA
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** But… 

_Ugh, this was so uncomfortable._

> **Yoosung** **★** **:** But… didn’t you read the talk with ZEN?   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** I mean, I agree with him. When he joined I just saw this replacement of Rika  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** When he started accusing the RFA it was like the image in my head just crumbled.   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** I was beyond shocked. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Well, after I learned he worked for a lawyer I began to understand his harsh questioning  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** He was very perceptive to go after you
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** T_T 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** It only took a few questions to make you break 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Okay;; I’m an easy target  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** 。゜゜ _(´_ Ｏ _`)_ ゜゜。 _  
> _**Yoosung** **★** **:** But Jumin said he gave him all the info ^_^   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** So hopefully he’ll see that we’re who we say we are and stay! 

True Jumin gave him the graphs but… there was an odd thing about it. Zack couldn’t figure out what though. He’d look into it later. 

> **Jaehee Kang:** While I do not fault him for questioning us  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I do wish he did it when he wasn’t donning a hangover
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yeah… but I get why he was drinking
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, that is very saddening  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I can’t imagine the pain of finding out that the person you love burning your trust like that. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I think I wouldn’t be able to handle that  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** I feel like I would go crazy
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** How cowardly to keep the infidelity a secret like that
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** A week before the wedding no less
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** It seems the partner already is back on the dating scene 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I would leave town too  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Isn’t it wrong though, that the lawyer he worked for fired him? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I would imagine so. But as he said the lawyer was the mother of his ex  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** No matter how much we must create a divide between the work place and our private lives, it’d be extremely uncomfortable  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I think if she hadn’t fired him he’d end up quitting or transferring anyways.   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Although, it would have been better if she had requested his transfer
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yeah, firing him was obviously an emotional impulse
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I could never see Mr. Han firing someone like that
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yeah;;; seriously 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I do feel bad for him, however, I agree with Mr. Han that it may be more beneficial to us if Zack didn’t throw a party. Especially in the emotional and mental state he may be in. I would prefer it if he focused on his recovery rather than trying to plan an event
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** But what would happen? If he said he couldn’t do it would V throw him out? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I don’t know  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Perhaps, if he chooses to stay but wishes to take time for himself, we can just postpone the party  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** We don’t even know when it’s going to be held
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Well we normally give it like half a year so maybe he’ll feel better about that

_Oh thank god_

> **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, though he isn’t staying in the country that long  
>  **Jahee Kang:** Well I’m sure Mr. Han or V or Seven will get him a ticket to attend the party
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** It’d be bard due to the time difference but that’d be cool!  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Now that I’ve cleared my head, I still really want to meet him. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Luckily we will have a large time gap. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** Yeah!   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** I better get a date for the party! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Keep dreaming
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **: T_T  
>  Yoosung** **★** **:** 。゜゜ _(´_ Ｏ _`)_ ゜゜。
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **: Have faith in me!**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** We’ll see  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** we’ll most likely all be single at the party
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I wonder who’s dated the most here? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, Seven, and You are all at zero dates in total
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** T_T   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Wait, Jumin’s never dated??? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Not that I know of. He doesn’t concern himself with those things 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** I wish I could say I’m shocked but…   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** WAIT!!!  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** You’re not on the list!!? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Unlike you, I do have my experiences 
> 
> **Yoosung** **★** **:** (゜ロ゜)  
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** WHAT!?   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** At least I’m not alone T_T   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** Oh! My LOLOL guild needs me   
>  **Yoosung** **★** **:** gtg! l8er!! 
> 
>         Yoosung ★ has left the chatroom
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Six months…  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Hmm
> 
> Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom 
> 
> **Zack:** Yoosung, hope you find a girl in your LOLOL game  
>  **Zack:** Seeing as that’s the only place you’ll ever find one

He hadn’t talked in that chatroom but he’s glad he read it. In about four minutes his journey for change would began. He was excited. For the first time in a long time he was smiling in anticipation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope the flow was okay. How's everyone liking this?   
> I tested the hogg beard line by rolling around on the ground. I didn't get beard but... i thought it was funnies. The voice-to-text thing might be a bit contrived but... I dunno I just wanted to ruin Zack's day more  
> I've always found it endearing to picture Zack being assertive to Jumin. Like, he may be intimidated but push him too much and he'll become cold.   
> Kudos, Comment, Dance, Sing! Love ya~!


	6. Day 3 Morning: Revitalization

So it was finally the next day. For his first step towards _The Month of Zack_ , he had taken the day off from the Yi’s and decided that he’d go for a walk, get some healthy foods, and… well, he’d figure out the rest later. Once he was up, promptly at 8am, he decided to first start with his clothing. He dug through his box of clothes and found something resembling fashion. Red and black buffalo plaid was still in right? Well who cares. After trying to fix his hair—the curls were nice, but damn were they unruly today—he gave up and instead dug through his bags to find the cologne he liked, cedar and vanilla. 

He grabbed his cell, headphones, put on his glasses with the attachable shades and looked in the full length mirror one last time. Not bad. He smiled wryly and left the apartment with a spring in his step. Making a change was awesome. Sure all he did was put a little effort into his looks today, but that was a step in the right direction. He felt damn fine as he walked down the street with his music softly playing. This morning was hot but at least it wasn’t unbearable. As he walked into the grocery store he took a final glance at his reflection Even with his bruises showing he was still feeling confident. His phone started to buzz with notifications as he twirled his basket around his wrist. 

> **Zack:** Morning Seven

He walked over to the fruit aisle and grabbed his calculator. _Okay if I buy these apples… mmm no. I can get a better deal at that other store._ He crunched his numbers and started to price match. He had cut coupons about a week ago so he was going to make the most of all the deals. Things like coupons never embarrassed him. Saving money made him feel good, in fact it was saving that enabled him to buy the wedding hall of his dreams (even if he didn’t get to use it). 

> **707:** Heyo!  
>  **707:** I just  
>  **707:** pulled an  
>  **707:** all nighter
> 
> **Zack:** I’m sorry T_T  
>  **Zack:** And I’m genuinely sorry for yesterday as well
> 
> **707:** Aw don’t be! I’d be more like “Wat?” if u didn’t ask questions  
>  **707:** Seeing as we kinda forced u into this with little explanation
> 
> **Zack:** Well, I feel bad that you had to do that conference call when you’re so busy
> 
> **707:** It’s fine! It’s fine!  
>  **707:** I wanted to do that, honestly 
> 
> **Zack:** Okay, if you’re sure
> 
> **707:** Totally!  
>  **707:** Ahhh but I’m tired  
>  **707:** Where u @?
> 
> **Zack:** The grocery store. I’m going to revitalize myself
> 
> **707:** Want me to hack You-Know-Who’s insta? 
> 
> **Zack** : Lol no
> 
> **707:** Cuz I totally can
> 
> **Zack:** I’m sure  
>  **Zack:** Wait…  
>  **Zack:** Did you already hack it?
> 
> **707:** What? Noooo…  
>  **707:** _*insert The Happening gif here*_
> 
> **Zack:** Seven… 
> 
> **707:** Just was having some funsies ^_^
> 
> **Zack:** Well… what’d you find? 
> 
> **707:** Nothing really interesting  
>  **707** : Basic stuff  
>  **707:** You at least have good taste in looks
> 
> **Zack:** Ah huh
> 
> **707:** It wasn’t anything cool at all.  
>  **707:** But I could totally make it more awesome
> 
> **Zack:** how exactly? 
> 
> **707:** Don’t you love cat videos? 
> 
> **Zack:** What? I guess? 
> 
> **707:** And cat filters!?
> 
> **Zack:** Sure? 
> 
> **707:** Just give me two minutes and I can totally make his life all about cats
> 
> **Zack:** This group and their cats, I swear
> 
> **707:** Lololol!  
>  **707:** So~ What do you say~? 
> 
> **Zack:** Don’t make more work for yourself  
>  **Zack:** and let’s just  not bother him. 
> 
> **707:** Well…  
>  **707:** Okay…  
>  **707:** (〃￣ω￣〃ゞ  
>  **707:** Ugh so many people are hiring hackers for background checks now. WHYYYY!?!
> 
> **Zack:** Considering all the skeletons in some peoples closets, I guess that’s why? 
> 
> **707:** I guess
> 
> **Zack:** I just wish people would stop having this incessant need to know everything about everyone. 
> 
> **707:** Ya!  
>  **707:** This world sux  
>  **707:** But you can always count on Seven Zero Seven!!! and the RFA!  
>  **707:** With the resurgence of the parties we’ll make this world so much better!

_We’ll see about that… Ooo! Oreos!_

> **Zack:** Lol
> 
> **707:** I need to talk to V
> 
> **Zack:** Same
> 
> **707:** Lolol yeah he could really help calm your doubts  
>  **707:** Don’t worry! I’m sure he’ll pop up sooner rather than later. 
> 
> **Zack:** Well I’ll admit that I’m a little anxious
> 
> **707:** Us too!  
>  **707:** But even if we can’t hold a party  
>  **707:** I do hope that you’ll stay and we’ll be forever friends
> 
> **Zack:** Heh ya me too 
> 
> **707:** Yeah!!  
>  **707:** Now that you’re here, we’re all talking again. It’s so much fun! 
> 
> **Zack:** You all seem pretty close
> 
> **707:** Well we’re all friends.  
>  **707:** I enjoy talking with everyone, it’s really relaxing when I get to pull my pranks
> 
> **Zack:** With your skills you could make that pup think 2+2=5 
> 
> **707:** Oh gawd lololol  
>  **707:** Should I try?  
>  **707:** Do you think it’d work????
> 
> **Zack:** I could help
> 
> **707:** Oooo! I smell a prankster! Alright alright~! Hmmm  
>  **707:** We’ll have to discuss it in the private messaging. 
> 
> **Zack:** I’ll be waiting
> 
> **707:** ☆⌒ヽ _(*’_ 、 _^*)chu  
>  _**707:** Ooo! I better not keep you waiting too long

Zack stopped in his tracks and smirked. He leaned against the wall and placed the basket at his feet. He couldn’t resist. 

  **Zack:** Please don’t. I don’t like being teased. 

> **707:** But being teased makes it feel all the more better right? Because you waited so long like a good kitten. 

_Good god, this little sonuva…_

> **Zack:** Well… when you put it that way  
>  **Zack:** I guess I’ll be good and wait until you get there
> 
> **707:** lololol!!!  
>  **707:** It’s too early to be so saucy  
>  **707:** These should be our late night chats
> 
> **Zack:** Oh so you wanna continue? 
> 
> **707:** Lololol you’re a sinful distraction 

_What the hell are we doing?_

> **Zack:** If you wanna play this game you better come prepared. I don’t hold back
> 
> **707:** Oh dang! lololol!!!  >.<  
>  **707:** HEY! You said you’re at the store right!?  
>  **707:** HONEY  
>  **707:** BUDDAH  
>  **707:** CHIPS!  
>  **707:** &  
>  **707:** DOCTOR  
>  **707:** PEPPER!!
> 
> **Zack:** Wha?  
>  **Zack:** Oh yeah, I see them. 

He picked up his basket and fanned his neck with his collar. 

> **707:** Soooo delicious~  
>  **707:** Much taste  
>  **707:** Should buy
> 
> **Zack:** Right, I’ve had them before. Okay, I’ll buy some at the other store. 
> 
> **707:** Ooo at the Super Savers!? They’re having a major sale there right now
> 
> **Zack:** Right you are ^_^  
>  **Zack:** I’ll get the chips  
>  **Zack:** But not the soda, I’m trying to be good.
> 
> **707:** Should I send you a box instead?  
>  **707:** Ah but I’d have to deliver it. I can’t send things there
> 
> **Zack:** Oh right, you wiped my order receipts.  
>  **Zack:** Ya should’ve told me that. I have taxes to crunch you know. 
> 
> **707:** Lolol whoops  
>  **707:** Are you  
>  **707:** A math nerd?
> 
> **Zack:** I don’t hate it
> 
> **707:** ☆⌒ヽ (*' 、 ^*)chu  
>  **707:** I'd like to plug my solution into your equation. 
> 
> **Zack:** I wish I was your derivative so I could lie tangent to your curves. 
> 
> **707:** Oh damn lolololol!!! Math nerds unite!! 
> 
> **Zack:** Don’t get your hopes up.  
>  **Zack:** I can do math but I’m super slow
> 
> **707:** But at least now I can finally use these lines! 
> 
> **Zack:** I’ll try not to disappoint 
> 
> **707:** Lol this was so much fun!  
>  **707:** I hope you your journey to revitalization goes well  
>  **707:** And I hope you feel better about working with us
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah
> 
> **707:** I better go count the sheep!  
>  **707:** Bye bye! 
> 
> **Zack:** Bye 

Zack closed his phone and smiled. That was kind of fun. It had been a long time since he “flirted” like that. Not that he wasn’t going to do anything, he wasn’t ready for that. Buuuuut, he couldn’t deny the giddy feeling that warmed his body. He glanced at his reflection, just a tiny bit of blush. Now that made him feel good. He couldn’t remember the last time he blushed like this either. 

“Heh, so dumb.” He mumbled to himself. Deep in the back of his mind he was wondering when he’d go back on the market again, if ever. Maybe he’d adopt a dog or something. 

He stopped in his tracks. “Holy shit.” He had just realized something. He was completely free to do anything and everything. “This is gonna be awesome!” All the things he wanted to do, all the things he wanted to buy, he could do it now. Duh-doy! He looked back at the snack isle and grinned. 

~* 

Zack placed his bag on the ground as he bit into his straw. What a fun day today was! He bought his snacks and produce and already dropped everything off at the apartment. Now he was sitting at some hippy looking cafe drinking an ice coffee. He leaned against his chair keeping his right foot elevated on his knee as he texted Hannah and another old friend, Gabriel, in a group chat. Zack was happy he was finally talking to these dorks again. He needed good friends like this. 

> **Banana:** There’s a FNAF movie coming out… 
> 
> **Goob:** What…? 
> 
> **Zoozoo:** No way. That is so lame 
> 
> **Banana:** Right?  
>  **Banana:** When are we going? 
> 
> **Goob:** The night it comes out, duh
> 
> **Zoozoo:** Let’s go to Eau Claire to watch it
> 
> **Banana:** Good idea! 
> 
> **Goob:** Yeah, I wouldn’t be caught dead at our theater
> 
> **Zoozoo:** our theater sucks 
> 
> **Goob:** I found a used condom in the bathrooms there
> 
> **Banana:** EW! 
> 
> **Zoozoo:** WTF that’s disgusting
> 
> **Goob:** Yeah, I’m never going back ever again
> 
> **Banana:** Oh! Let’s invite Jess and her girlfriend 
> 
> **Zoozoo:** She’s dating again? 
> 
> **Banana:** Yeah, now that she has her Masters she’s back out there
> 
> **Goob:** Maddy, that’s the gf’s name, is super funny
> 
> **Zoozoo:** Aight that’ll be awesome. I haven’t talked to Jess in forever. She still obsessed with Overwatch? 
> 
> **Goob:** God yes lol!  
>  **Goob:** I’ll add them to the group
> 
> **Zoozoo:** Awesome
> 
> **Banana:** The movie comes out in two months. You’ll be back by then right Zack? 
> 
> **Zoozoo:** Yup
> 
> **Goob:** Zack, they’re hiring at the schools. You wanna teach again? 
> 
> **Zoozoo:** Eh I’ll consider it. Which school? 
> 
> **Goob:** Our Lady of Prosperity for grades 6-8th 
> 
> **Zoozoo:** ewgh… 
> 
> **Banana:** Those nuns are strict! No way! 
> 
> **Goob:** Hey, a jobs a job 
> 
> **Zoozoo:** Okay, I’ll look into it. Thanks Gabe
> 
> **Goob:** No problema. 
> 
> **Banana:** Well I’m at the docs. Wish me luck 
> 
> **Goob:** Good luck. Hope it’s not twins
> 
> **Banana:** Don’t stress me out!! 
> 
> **Goob:** Laterz 
> 
> **Banana:** Ugh jerk. Bye bye Zack! 
> 
> **Zoozoo:** Bye 

He looked out towards the crowds and sighed. Now all he had to look forward too was watching the FNAF movie. Didn’t that franchise die already? Why were they making a movie about it now? Ugh… so lame. He laughed to himself as he looked over at the bookstore across the way. _Books… meh, he’d rather read a comic right now_. Now that he was looking at his situation as more of a blessing rather than a curse, he finally saw this trip as something refreshing and exciting. He had been looking up all the attractions and all the “must-sees” for his trip. He felt so stupid for not realizing this earlier but it was better late then never. He had made the mental note that today was the day he would embrace life! It was going to be so great right? 

Bzz bzz 

> **Jaehee Kang:** Good morning Zachary  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** How do you feel today? 
> 
> **Zack:** Other than a slight headache I am feeling super great  
>  **Zack:** I mean I don’t think I’m like 100% dandy but I just feel so much better 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I am happy to hear that.  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I do hope you decide to stay with us  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** It’d be nice to throw a party again  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I saw that you and Seven were messing around  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I just hope that you’re not seeking revenge on your ex
> 
> **Zack:** Don’t worry already did that  
>  **Zack:** Was not fun. Hated it 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I can imagine  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Well, as long as you’re taking care of yourself then that’s all that matters.  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** And that goes for all the members. Seven and Yoosung need to revitalize themselves as well
> 
> **Zack:** You mean the HBC thing?  
>  **Zack:** Is that really all he eats? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Luciel says he does, and I believe it
> 
> **Zack:** Man, I hope he gets his maid to cook him a real meal
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, today I’m thinking of eating at a restaurant and not from the convince store.  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han wen to lunch with the chairman, so I’m free 
> 
> **Zack:** Hey, idea  
>  **Zack:** C &R isn’t very far from me. Have lunch with me. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** But your location is secret 
> 
> **Zack:** I ain’t gonna bring you back home  
>  **Zack:** Plus we can fully talk
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Well  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Alright
> 
> **Zack:** You choose. Anywhere you like.
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I have a place. And it’s good for a tight budget, I used to eat there all the time back in college. The food is divine  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I am looking forward to this. 
> 
> **Zack:** Sweet, this is exciting ^_^ 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I feel a bit bad since Mr. Han wasn’t excited to go to lunch 
> 
> **Zack:** Lunch with parents isn’t always that fun
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Well Mr. Han respects his father  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** But I think the chairman brought a guest along with him
> 
> **Zack:** Oh I see
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I shall talk later. I’ll send you the place I have in mind. I won’t be able to stay out too long. 
> 
> **Zack:** No worries!
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I shall meet you there Zack. 
> 
> **Zack:** Righty-o! 
> 
> Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom

Zack tossed his coffee into the trash and ran to the bus. He looked up the address and bought his ticket. He was a little nervous about all of this. But hey, if he wanted to learn more about the RFA, he might as well meet them. 

~* 

At the outdoor restaurant, Zack nursed his water and played with the salt shaker on the table. His legs were shaking as he looked at his phone for her text. Holy shit it just hit him, he was going to meet a member of the group he didn’t totally trust. 

“Mr. Rein?” 

He looked up to see a pretty woman standing in front of him. He stood up and smiled. Argh! They were the same height. He was a bit insecure about his height whenever he was near a woman who was either equal height or taller than him. Putting that aside, he was taken aback by how she looked. Wow, the profile picture did not do her justice. She was more stunning in real life. He didn’t want to be creepy but her figure was killer. 

Zack cleared his throat and shook her hand. “Yeah that’s me.” He smiled. She looked so professional compared to him. He felt like he was meeting his older sister to ask for money.

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Rein.” 

“Oh uhm Zack is fine.” 

“Alright then, Zack.” 

He pulled out a chair for her. “Ah so… it seems you now know the _mystery man_.” He nervously chuckled. 

“That’s right isn’t it.” She smiled. “I must say, it feels nice to have the upper hand against everyone.” 

Zack laughed. “I feel like some kind of enigma. Oh, I ordered you a water. You want something else?” 

“No, a water is fine. I still have to get back to work later.” She patted down her dress shirt. “So, Zack, now that we aren’t held back by the phone app, I’d be happy to answer as much as I can about the RFA.” 

He nodded, “Well uhm, okay. Let’s see… Can I be completely honest?” 

“Of course.” She nodded. Her voice was really nice. Motherly almost. 

“Well, you see, I brought this with me.” He pulled out his messenger bag from under the table. “And I printed out the numbers Jumin gave me—ah, wait.” He put his bag back down. “Jaehee I really don’t want to ruin your lunch with all this.” 

“No, I don’t mind this at all. I am happy to answer any questions.” 

He looked at her face; dark circles, a tired smile, and small presses into her temples, she was stressed. Zack kicked his bag under his chair and chewed the inside of his lip. He couldn’t ask her. He wanted to break these fears and doubts of the RFA, he wanted to have made his decision on them by today, but… He couldn’t do this to her. She even said this was her time to relax and be free of work and it bothered him to know he was actively pushing more on her. Besides, it was clear only V held the answers he sought. He folded his hands under the table and feigned a puzzled look. “I…I was looking at the numbers and was calculating the ballroom expenses, will I have to choose a location? I just need to know what our budget is.” 

She tried to hide it but he could see the look of relief on her face. “No, don’t worry about that. Normally we all choose a location together.” 

“Okay, great! I was a little worried on how to plan all of this. After seeing those numbers I was like, wow.” He coughed into his hand. “Sooo, uhm, that’s all haha! A-anyways, I looked at ZEN’s blogs. Is ZorroPoster you? Cuz I was getting this feeling from the writing of it.” _Damn… well maybe by the time I get to talk to V I’ll have my argument ready._

She blushed in embarrassment. “I will neither confirm nor deny.” With an adjustment of her glasses she whipped out her phone and shoved her photos in his face. “But now that you’ve brought it up,  this is the Zorro poster!” 

_W-what a dramatic shift in personality!_ “W-wow!” He looked at the photo. “W-what the heck? Why is this so sensual?” 

“It is isn’t it!” She leaned forward. “Tell me Zack, have you watched any of his stuff yet?” 

“Not…yet.” 

“You must! It is simple the greatest thing in the whole world. Look here, this is my collection of ZEN merchandise!” She showed a photo of her  shrine bookshelf. “This one is from his play Hot Peppers, this one is a poster from his musical performance in Moon Drop, and this one is a collectors item,” she pointed to a jacket, “from his performance in the play ‘Dancing on Water’.” 

“W-wow, this is quite the collection.” She lowered her phone smiling. “So… then what’s it like being able to talk with ZEN? I mean, that must be crazy right?” 

“Being able to talk with him like a friend is every fan’s dream.” She squeezed lemon into her water. “But, ZEN in the chat and ZEN on the stage are two different things. At first, I’ll admit, it felt weird to collect merchandise with his face on it, seeing as I knew him. It felt really weird when I got my mail one day and there was Mr. Han on the cover. I just couldn’t have it in my house, it bothered me so much. But, with ZEN I just truly want to support him.” 

“Pfft! So with ZEN you’re supporting his work and with Jumin you’re-“ 

“Throwing it in the trash, yes.” She handed in their orders. 

“GAAHAHA-pffft!” He covered his mouth to hide his laugh. He always found his laugh to be ugly. It sounded like a dying seal. “Poor Jumin. Man, if ZEN is as good as you say then maybe I should really check his stuff out.” 

“There is a store near here.” Her eyes lit up. “Will you watch the one I recommend?” 

“Of course. I feel honored to get the full recommendations from an expert.” 

“Great! I am happy to initiate a new fan. Here,” she PM-ed him, “are the best blogs for ZEN fans. The ‘CryingAboutZENsAbs’ one is great for new fans.” 

Zack nodded, he couldn’t help the fact that he was smiling. “I’ll buy some popcorn and watch it tonight.” 

“Yes, movie night is the best night. The play I have in mind goes best with red wine.” Her eyes lit up with an intense fire. “The red perfectly enraptures the passion of Lucian and his fight for saving Amelia’s heart! Plus ZEN makes an excellent vampire! The combination of the wine mixed with his mesmerizing gaze and sexy vampiric blood dripping down his chiseled chest! ZEN has the intense beauty that vampires of lore have! He was perfect for the part! His crimson eyes, porcelain skin, and platinum hair makes him the dream of every girls awakening fantasies!” She gripped her napkin tightly. 

“Right!” He was getting sucked in by her excitement. _Holy shit!_

“And then! After you watch Moon Drop, you must watch Desperate Moves and pair it with white wine. It will enhance the feeling of Sung and his white-knight journey to save the love of his life, Chi! The way the traditional clothing compliments ZEN’s gentle features! The way they tie up his beautiful hair into a messy bun! The way he handles his sword!” 

The rest of the lunch pretty much went like this. Jaehee was so excited that she barely could find time to eat her meal. So, this is what true fans look like. He could say he had the same love for things like Kingdom Hearts or Persona but Jaehee’s love was on a whole other level. It wasn’t annoying or creepy though, her love for it genuinely made him interested in what she was saying. Sometimes, some fans of certain fandoms can really suck the fun out of everything, or they take things so literally that it just becomes irritating. 

The lunch hadn’t been what he was hoping for but he didn’t find it a waste of time. If anything, this just increased his bond with a member of the RFA, if that mattered yet. He walked Jaehee back to C&R and waved as she got on the elevator. Once he was outside, he looked up at the building. There wasn’t anything special about it but something about its size screamed “I’m looking down on you.” The people who walked into the building were moving at what Zack called city-speed. It was the type of speed that conveyed a constant sense of urgency. Just like the people you’d see in New York, always walking like they were late for something. 

Zack had been that way too. Once when he was in college and again when he worked at the law firm. It made him smile. He loved that he was free. Free from thinking that his life revolved around work, free from thinking that his life was filled with pure love, free from thinking that his life had reached the climax of its story. He wasn’t brimming with life yet, it hurt so much when he was alone, but he figured this was the first step and consequence of freedom. Freedom, to him, was bittersweet. 

Just as he was turning to walk away, “Oof!” Zack ran into someone. 

“Ah!” 

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sor-“ 

“You blind dumbass!” An older woman glared up at him. “You broke my heel!” 

“Y-you’re heel? Did you twist your ankle?” He looked down at the rich looking woman in a panic. “Oh, your high heels?” 

“Yes my high heels!! You ass!!” 

He scrunched his face up. “Sorry…” He extended his hand. 

“Watch where you’re walking!!” She took it but made sure to dig her fake red nails into his skin. 

“I said I was sorry!” He snapped as he snatched his hand away. “It was an accident!” 

“Accident my ass.” She dusted her dress. Everything about her was irritating him. Her long brown hair and high class outfit was okay, but the damn scowl she held as she tapped her foot in annoyance made her look ugly. No amount of the make-up she wore would hide such an ugly personality. For a moment she just glared at him as others looked around. Then, her face suddenly contorted into a forced smile. “I’m so sorry!” 

Zack took a step back at her sudden change. 

“Forgive my attitude, you see my boyfriend bought these for me.” She tried to look apologetic. Emphasis on _tried._

“O-oh.” 

“And I loved them so much because they’re a Claire De Lune brand and _were_ a **_limited_** item!” Her eyebrow twitched. “Well, maybe he’ll buy me a new pair.” She mumbled to herself. “Well, thank you for helping me up! Even if it was your clumsy fault…” As she walked by she dug her good heel into his foot. 

Zack clenched his fist and hopped on his good leg. “ARGH YOU BI-“ 

“Ms. Glam Choi.” A man that looked like a security guard came running out of C&R. “Is there something the matter?” 

“This vulgar man-” She scoffed. “It doesn’t matter. Escort me to my lunch! I’m running late enough as it is!” 

Zack clenched his jaw and hobbled over to a bench. “Rich bastards.” He grumbled as he pulled off his shoe and rubbed his foot. “What the hell was that all about?! I just bumped into her by accident! What the hell!? Owwww!!” A little red circle had formed onto where she _stabbed_ him. “Mean old hag…” He grumbled. 

At least he’d _never_ meet _her_ again. (͠ ≖ ͜ʖ͠ ≖ ) huehuehuehue

~* 

Now back in the apartment, and still feeling a bit pissed off, he made a B-line for the bed and flopped down. His bag of rented ZEN plays spilled out next to him along with the bottle of wines Jaehee recommended. It was nearing 13:30 when he finally got home, all this embracing life crap was tiring. That, and the fact that he was full on kimchi. He kicked off his shoes and undid his belt to let his gut free from the tight confines of skinny jeans. “Ugh, I’m full.” 

He looked over at the security camera and waved before rolling onto his stomach and putting on his headphones. 

> **707:** Welcome back!  
>  **707:** …  
>  **707:** ＼ _(º □ º l|l)/_  
>  **707:** This sucks!!!
> 
> **Zack:** What’s up? 
> 
> **707:** You had lunch with Jaehee!!! What about me and my feelings!? 
> 
> **Zack:** What? You sad you’re not the only one who knows me now? 
> 
> **707:** T_T I’m secret master  
>  **707:** Now you’ve made the secret come out!!!  
>  **707:** And you got to hang out with one of us!
> 
> **Zack:** Heh, ya I wanted you to be my first too
> 
> **707:** Now that’s tainted! T_T Oh my poor innocent mystery man. Used before _I_ got to use him
> 
> **Zack:** Kinda concerned on how you were going to _use_ me
> 
> **707: \** ( ★ ω ★ )/  
>  **707:** Too baaddd you’ll never find out now! Maybe in my route! 
> 
> **Zack:** Your route? 
> 
> **707:** DISTRACTION  
>  **707:** I’m soooo hungry! 
> 
> **Zack:** Then get real food
> 
> **707:** Ugh… that takes effort. Plus all that’s in my house are soda and chips
> 
> **Zack:** Come on man, you gotta take care of yourself
> 
> **707:** Oh don’t worry!  
>  **707:** I am a hacker! As long as I work at my desk it’s all good!  
>  **707:** Lol life is totes pointless anyways~!
> 
> **Zack:** I _am_ worried  
>  **Zack:** No matter what, I can tell you’re a good guy. I don’t want you treating yourself like that man. Even if it’s only been three days I care about you. I mean I _do_ want to meet you, you know. 
> 
> **707:** Talking like that  
>  **707:** makes me impatient  
>  **707:** When’s it finally going to be my turn…?
> 
> **Zack:** What? 
> 
> **707:** nothing  
>  **707:** Okay okay I’ll get Ms. Vanderwood to pick me up something  
>  **707** : I feel like pizza
> 
> **Zack:** As long as it’s not chips
> 
> **707:** Can’t I just crush HBC on top? Plus Dr. P tastes great with pizza! So it’s a win win
> 
> **Zack:** Loopholes eh?  
>  **Zack** : Fine, just make sure the pizza has veggies on it! 
> 
> **707:** Yes sir!  
>  **707:** ( 〃￣ ω ￣〃ゞ
> 
> **Zack:** Well anyways, it was really fun talking to Jaehee
> 
> **707:** Did you guys talk about the cutest boys in the RFA?  
>  **707:** It’s totally me isn’t it  
>  **707:** ☆⌒ヽ (*' 、 ^*)chu
> 
> **Zack:** Lol yeah we gossiped about you all  
>  **Zack:** No, actually she told me all about ZEN.  
>  **Zack:** If you can, look at the monitor

He rolled over and held up the DVD’s. 

> **Zack:** Now look away, I’m gonna change
> 
> **707:** Lol okay! 

He carefully shimmied out of his pants and pulled off his shirt and stepped into his worn out sweat pants. 

> **707:** Nice mole

Zack whipped his head up at the monitor and covered his naked chest. Wait… he didn’t have a mole! He laughed through his nose before pulling on his favorite Zelda shirt. 

> **707:** Lolol did I get you? Did you think I saw? 
> 
> **Zack:** Nope. 
> 
> **707:** Yeah yeah sure.  
>  **707:** Lol! So now you’re falling into ZEN hell?  
>  **707:** I’ve got some niiiiice pics for you to send out to the blogs.  
>  **707:** You’ll reach platinum status in no time!
> 
> **Zack:** Lol  
>  **Zack:** Is there any way for me to contact V? 
> 
> **707:** No. I’m sorry 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s fine. 
> 
> **707:** I bet Jumin is having an amazing meal… 
> 
> **Zack:** Oh yeah. I forgot;;;  
>  **Zack:** Dinner with rich people huh
> 
> **707:** Lol I bet it’s a place with a violin playing and the sound of forks and knives clanking 
> 
> **Zack:** And lots of uncomfortable silence right? 
> 
> **707:** Lol yeah  
>  **707:** Cuz talking is like a social no-no in those places.  
>  **707:** You just admire the man or woman in front of you and talk about boring numbers
> 
> **Zack:** I thought you loved numbers
> 
> **707:** Fun numbers! not boring corporate numbers
> 
> Jumin Han has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **707:** Ugh I already feel uncomfortable thinking about it
> 
> **Jumin Han:** So bored… 

Zack laughed. 

> **Zack:** How’s the food? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** We had steak

He sent a photo so blurry all Zack could see was colors. 

> **Zack:** Yummy? 
> 
> **707:** lololol 
> 
> **Zack:** Was it tasty? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I can’t remember 

Ugh… rich people. 

> **707:** Seems like someone has some amnesia!  
>  **707:** I best take advantage of this now! To Jumin’s house! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** **No**
> 
> **Zack:** Wah-wah-waaaahhhhh 
> 
> **707:** T_T 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Never come over. 
> 
> **707:** fiiiinnneee  
>  **707:** Anyways, what’s with your photo? Did you eat colors? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** It’s as I said, it’s steak. 
> 
> **707:** Dude  
>  **707:** First you can’t drive and now you can’t take pictures? 
> 
> **Zack:** Isn’t your friend V a photographer? Can’t he give you lessons? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Why do that when V can simply take one for me? Or a photographer for that matter. 
> 
> **Zack:** What if Elizabeth 3rd is doing something _reeeeeaaaaalllly_ cute? By the time V or the photographer got their she’d be doing something else. Chance missed. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Hmm….  
>  **Jumin Han:** A photo should be taken by a photographer, I am a businessman 
> 
> **707:** …  
>  **707:** So basically you’re saying you are beyond teachable
> 
> **Zack:** With that reaction I’m guessing V tried but you were just a lost cause
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You are correct 
> 
> **Zack:** Lol bingo
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I see Assistant Kang had lunch with you.  
>  **Jumin Han:** I am hoping to receive a report from her
> 
> **707:** Did you two take some selfies!? 
> 
> **Zack:** Nope
> 
> **707:** And so the mystery lives on
> 
> **Zack:** Hey, aren’t you still with your dad?  
>  **Zack:** Should you be texting? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Normally I wouldn’t but he is currently with his new girlfriend  
>  **Jumin Han:** So they aren’t paying attention to what I’m doing
> 
> **707:** Awwww lolol
> 
> **Jumin Han:** So I have nothing to do
> 
> **Zack:** What about… eating?  
>  **Zack:** Or is it kinda uncomfortable 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** it is  
>  **Jumin Han:** Whenever I’m about to take a bite they start flirting.  
>  **Jumin Han:** It was fine before she got here, she was running late,  
>  **Jumin Han:** but now that she’s here they are in their own world
> 
> **Zack:** Lolol that sucks
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I have failed to mention, Zack, that it seems you are taking a new resolve on things
> 
> **Zack:** Oh, yeah.  
>  **Zack:** Sorry for the attitude yesterday  
>  Zack: Well… sorry not sorry.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** While I do not like having people pointing fingers  
>  **Jumin Han:** I understand your concerns.  
>  **Jumin Han:** I did not think about showing you the logistics of things, that was my error.
> 
> **707:** Lololol same 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You were once a financial lawyer’s assistant correct  
>  **Jumin Han:** If I think about it, perhaps you do show the signs of lawyering
> 
> **707:** Now you just need the humor of an accountant 
> 
> **Zack:** When does a person decide to become a stockbroker?
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’m not sure. When? 
> 
> **707:** Oh god… 
> 
> **Zack:** When he realizes he doesn't have the charisma to succeed as an undertaker.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Haha, yes you’re right. 
> 
> **707:** laaaaaammmmeeee  
>  **707:** You should eat your steak! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, or get it to-go and bring it to me
> 
> **707:** No me!! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** No.  
>  **Jumin Han:** Zachary you already ate, you shouldn’t stuff yourself  
>  **Jumin Han:** Oh right  
>  **Jumin Han** : Do either of you watch TV often?
> 
> **Zack:** I watch Netflix or Hulu sometimes, but I mostly like YouTube
> 
> **707:** Sometimes I do 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Do either of u know the TV show “Master Chef”? 
> 
> **Zack:** With the Gordon Ramsey guy? I’ve watched a few episodes here and there
> 
> **707:** I DO!!!!  
>  **707:** I WATCH IT ALL THE TIME!!! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I see  
>  **Jumin Han:** Apparently the chef here was on that show 
> 
> **707:** NO WAY!  
>  **707:** OMG  
>  **707:** Which season!? What’s their name!?
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’m not sure
> 
> **707:** Maybe it’s Melanie!? She won the show with her wine seared steak! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Melanin? Doesn’t that determine skin color? 
> 
> **707:** Lol yes, but I said Melanie  
>  **707** : She won in season 5! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Melly smelly 

There was a three minute pause  

> **707:** What?  
>  **707:** What was that? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** A joke 

Zack busted out laughing. 

> **707:** A _joke_!?  
>  **707:** FAIL!! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Pail?
> 
> **707:** F  
>  **707:** A  
>  **707:** I  
>  **707:** L  
>  **707:** FAIL!!
> 
> **Zack:** Melly smelly lololololol!! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** See? He laughed. 
> 
> **707:** A pity laugh Jumin  
>  **707:** That was a pity laugh  
>  **707:** Your jokes sux
> 
> **Jumin Han:** … 
> 
> **Zack:** d’awww 
> 
> **707:** let’s just… pretend Jumin never said anything…  
>  **707:** Anyways, Chew Ramsey praised her for her skills  
>  **707:** He said it tasted like heaven  
>  **707:** HEAVEN he said!  
>  **707:** If it’s her! Then your photo doesn’t do justice!
> 
> **Zack:** Jumin, take a bite right now and tell us how it tastes 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : Alright  
>  **Jumin Han:** It’s delicious 
> 
> **Zack:** I regret asking  
>  **Zack:** My mouth is watering 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : I didn’t realize Chef Ramsey was so popular  
>  **Jumin Han:** Zachary, please invite him 
> 
> **707:** ＼ (º □ º l|l)/  
>  **707:** You’re not lying are you!? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** No, I have been to restaurants he’s cooked at many times
> 
> **707:** No way…  
>  **707:** I’m so jealous
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Zachary will you invite him? 

_Why do they always ask? Just send me the info._

> **Zack:** Yeah
> 
> **707:** Oh my god  
>  **707:** Oh my dear god of cats  
>  **707:** Oh my dear god of steaks  
>  **707:** Zack I love you
> 
> **Zack:** Lol 
> 
> **707:** Jumin I love you too! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Thank you, but I’m good 
> 
> **707:** Someone must ship us!  
>  **707:** Accept my love Jumin  
>  **707:** Accept it!
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’d rather not. 
> 
> **707:** Boo, no HBC for you
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I don’t need those greasy things  
>  **Jumin Han:** I have steak 
> 
> **707:** :P  
>  **707:** Whatever, I’ll just enjoy a bag of chips 
> 
> **Zack:** Not so fast!  
>  **Zack:** You said you’d order a pizza  
>  **Zack:** If you don’t I will bring it to you myself!  
>  Zack: Eat healthy!!
> 
> **707:** >.<  
>  **707:** Yes sir! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I agree with Zachary  
>  **Jumin Han:** You need to eat better. Like me. 
> 
> **Zack:** Why do you keep calling me Zachary? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I have no real reason
> 
> **Zack:** It feels so formal 
> 
> **707:** How come you spell it with a ‘ck’ and not a ‘ch’? 
> 
> **Zack:** On paper it should be with a ‘ch’  
>  **Zack:** But when I was a kid I had a hard time writing  
>  **Zack:** My h’s looked like k’s  
>  **Zack:** So I technically I _was_ spelling it as ‘Zach’, but because of my bad spelling it came out like ‘Zack’  
>  Zack: whew that was kinda a long winded explanation
> 
> **707:** Why not put Zoozoo instead lololol 
> 
> **Zack:** Argh! You hacker butt-face! 
> 
> **707:** lolol! Sorry~ 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Zoozoo? 
> 
> **Zack:** My mother calls me Zoozoo or Zoozy 
> 
> **707:** Lololol! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Zoozoo, hmmm 
> 
> **Zack** : No, I know what you’re getting at! No! 
> 
> **707:** lolol! the RFA needs pet names! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Speaking of pet names
> 
> **Zack:** I have not seen the Tabby today, I’m gonna go this evening. 
> 
> **707:** Have we decided on a name yet? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** We have.  
>  **Jumin Han:** It’s muffin 
> 
> **Zack:** Lol says who? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Me. Says me. 
> 
> **Zack:** Jaehee and ZEN haven’t given names yet 
> 
> **707:** I doubt they will lol 
> 
> **Zack:** Jaehee do a fellow fan a solid plleeeeaassee  
>  **Zack:** Zen, pretty please. If you give me names Seven will send you a selfie 
> 
> **707:** Lol yeah! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Why don’t you post his pictures on here Luciel? 
> 
> **707:** Cause… mystery?  
>  **707:** Lol I guess I should dig some up!  
>  **707:** There’s not a lot though
> 
> **Zack:** I’m not a selfie guy.  
>  **Zack:** Most are with my friends right? Well since this chat is private I guess you don’t have to blur it. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I think it will calm all of our nerves if we see him.  
>  **Jumin Han:** And since Assistant Kang has met you, we might as well all do it. 
> 
> **707:** Lolol god excuse  
>  **707:** Okie! I’ll dig up some during my next break. First! Pizza! 
> 
> **Zack:** Good!  
>  **Zack:** Make sure it has veggies! 
> 
> **707:** Yes mom!  
>  **707** : lolol laterz! 
> 
> 707 has left the chatroom 
> 
> **Zack:** I hope he actually does it… 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Should I take your concerns for us a good sign? 
> 
> **Zack:** Heh sure

_Whatever floats your boat_

> **Zack:** You know, I was wondering  
>  **Zack:** You always seem so calm and collected.  
>  **Zack:** But how do you do it?
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Other’s people’s opinions of me does not matter to me. I am already well aware that I have the skills, looks, and resources to achieve what I set out to do. 
> 
> **Zack:** That’s confident but  
>  **Zack:** Don’t you ever get anxious? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I understand that I must always keep myself steady.  
>  **Jumin Han:** Losing my composure will not produce results. Keeping a level head, no matter the situation, will ensure that the thing I may be anxious about gets resolved correctly. 
> 
> **Zack:** Oh
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Are you worried about the party? 
> 
> **Zack:** No  
>  **Zack:** Just that, I know today is going well for me  
>  **Zack:** But I’m just afraid of losing that  
>  **Zack:** and when I get scared I…

_Have panic attacks._

> … get a little nauseous 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You’ve contacted the therapist correct?  
>  **Jumin Han:** I can only give you so much advice, but ultimately we face different challenges.  
>  **Jumin Han** : I am sure the therapist can help you calm your nerves  
>  **Jumin Han:** But until then I suggest you take a deep breath and focus only on the facts and not the emotions attached to them.
> 
> **Zack:** Okay  
>  **Zack:** Thanks  
>  **Zack:** And I really am sorry for yesterday
> 
> **Jumin Han:** That is now in the past Zachary  
>  **Jumin Han:** Today is a new day. As long as you continue with your usual tenacity and determination, then I see no reason for you to apologize. 
> 
> **Zack:** Okay
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I must go, please take care of the Tabby 
> 
> **Zack:** I will :) 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** And please take care of yourself. Goodbye 
> 
> Jumin Han has left the chatroom 
> 
> **Zack:** Bye 

~* 

“- .... .-. . . / -- --- -. .. - --- .-. ... .-.-.- / -.. --- .-- -. / .--. .- -.-- -- . -. - / -. . . -.. . -..” 

Zack had found a file in Rika’s computer with nothing but morse code. At first he was excited, a real clue, he had thought. But all the morse code translated too was a shopping list. The above morse code only spelt out that she needed three monitors and had to make some kind of payment. Another told him that some blueprints had been sent but not of what or to whom. 

One file even had a garble mess of english letters saying that the document has corrupt. The more he looked at it though, the more he thought he saw sentence structures. 

TkRyohclini. iueuwyeephaigocs Cudteylxr  
aeattelnc Fgrothhkesernvie.   olibmeie ?

As to what it meant, he didn’t know. But there was punctuation, so there was once something there, right? These “corrupted” files screamed suspicious to him. What concerned him even more, though, was that these files spontaneously just opened. He was sure that they were locked the first time he explored the computer. How did they just unlock all of a sudden? Was this all some elaborate game?

Zack sighed and rubbed his face and moved to the file cabinet. He dug through it for a good hour before finally finding some rough estimates of the fundraising. “What?” he sat down at the desk and started to crunch numbers. The handwriting these estimates belonged too had to be either Rika or V. 

It only took one glance to know something was wrong, her numbers were grossly overestimated from the final product. She had two charts: one that predicted how much they would make and one on how much they actually made. The first chart was only slightly over what Jumin wrote down, the second was largely over the final results. But these major inconsistencies only happened in the first two projects. After that the numbers started to add up, however there was also another oddity. 

On Jumin’s paper it said that the third and onward parties raised money for three charities instead of two. But on Rika’s papers, that third charity was nowhere to be found. On the corner of her paper was a small, peculiar, eye. Zack cleaned his glasses and dragged his fingers over the graph paper. Weird, there was a strange dip on the page. And on the back it looked like something had been written. Whatever it was had been severely scratched out and covered in white out. Zack reached over and grabbed a blank sheet of paper. Would it work? He put the blank sheet over Rika’s graphs and lightly penciled the marks. 

Argh, it wasn’t working… The whiteout was creating too much of a barrier. Zack sighed, if he brought this up would they just say that she had miscalculated? It _was_ just an estimate after all. There _could_ be room for errors on the grounds of it being a measly hypothesis. He brought the paper to the light and squinted his eyes. Nothing, nada. He dug through more files but only found useless things like guest lists. 

Wait.

What was this? 

“Sunflower Orphanage” was written in pretty lettering near some guests names, other guests would have different drawings of a sunflower. Some of the flowers were fully bloomed while others were wilting. What was this? Near some other names was that drawing of the eye. It looked too coordinated to just be simple doodles, it looked like she was marking something. Did it mean bad guests? Or…

Zack went back to the computer and typed in the orphanage. It was real… right? The site and reports on it seemed real. Near the old building was a small church that was once associated with the orphanage. Both had long since been shut down. Huh… what a weird thing. Maybe he would need to pay a visit there. But when? It was a day trip away, he didn’t have enough in his budget to get a hotel. 

He sighed at the realization that he’d have to sleep outside probably. He’d only done that once but he had _him_ to keep him company. Being alone out there at night felt like he’d be pushing it. Still… Sunflower seemed to hold _some_ significance to her. Was she adopted? Or was there something more to this? He dug through more of the papers and decided to divide the names, which was about 300 in total, into four categories: Eyes, Blooms, Wilted, Sunshine Orphanage. 

  * Eyes held 15 names
  * Blooms held 100 names
  * Wilted held 150 names
  * Sunflower Orphanage held 35



Okay, so now he had compiled up this information…so… now what? Maybe, he could look up each one? 

He really wished he hadn’t found anything. He wished that each name brought up nothing. But life doesn’t work like that now does it? 

The Eyes names showed results of local businesses. When Zack found their blogs he saw a strange pattern between all 15 people. Their first posts started off with them promoting their store. Then they started to write about how their personal lives weregoing downhill. Eventually, as coordinated with the past fundraisers, they mention how they’ve been invited to a huge event and how anxious and nervous they were to be in a room of executives. On each of The Eyes posts there was a comment from Paradise_is_Real that would write something along the lines of “This charity sounds like you’re getting a great opportunity. I hope you go with an open mind! The charity would be nothing without you!” and that would be fine if it was just simple positive commentating but… on  all fifteen Eyes people? Paradise_is_Real’s blog was empty, not a single thing posted at all. What bothered him even more was the word _paradise._ It was that word that brought him to the RFA in the first place. There had to be  some kind of connection. 

Anyways, the posts suddenly shifted their tunes after the fundraiser. It wasn’t immediate but a gradual change. One word started to pop up more and more: Savior. 

> ** Sunday November 5, 201X  
>  Anonymous asks:  **
> 
> Soooo… what happened to the whole boyfriend thing? Please don’t answer if it makes you uncomfortable! I was just wondering. I love your blog and your store!!! 
> 
> ** Danni_Draws posted:  **
> 
> It was pretty bad, anon, for a long time. But then I met my Savior and I started listening to their advice. It was just what I needed. I mean seriously, their words really touched me  
> 
> 
> * * *
> 
>  
> 
> ** Tuesday January 2, 201X  
>  Anonymous asks:  **
> 
> What’s that cute little bottle with the blue liquid in the back? Is that your new line! I love it!!! 
> 
> ** Sensational posted:  **
> 
> Oh that? Heh it’s my elixir. It’s just a little drink that a friend of mine, a Savior really, makes. It’s their own home brew. It’s like Kool-aid but in a cute bottle! Lol! 

It went on and on and then the posts just stopped. Each 15 business just suddenly empty. All stocks sold and never again filled. What was this? What happened to those 15 people at the fundraiser? 

It was decided, he had to go to Sunshine Orphanage. It was his only lead right now. But he’d have to prepare. Going right now wouldn’t be ideal just yet, he needed to rest up his body. Plus, he wanted to keep looking into everything that he could right now. 

Sunshine Orphanage, Paradise, drawings of eyes and sunflowers, and finally Savior. There was something underlying going on, and Zack wasn’t sure if he was capable of finding out. When he looked around the room, he didn’t see a place where he could sleep and eat. He saw a prison. 

~*~*~ Unknown Location ~*~*~

“Well, he got the files.” The man leaned back and yawned. “You sure about this?” 

“Yes, I’m sure.” The woman smiled. “Soon, I’ll have that list back. And soon, our plan will go into full effect.” 

“Tch…” The man didn’t seem convinced, but he wasn’t goin to tell her that. “Well about the newbie? What should I do once he gets there?” 

“Leave him be. I know types like him, we just need to push him to his breaking point.” 

“Again? What do you want me to do?” 

“Send another text, get C-12 to get him to drink again.” 

“But the first time didn’t work.” The man typed into his computer. 

“It did work, the specimen feels like he has a chance for hope and love, but he can’t gain hope and happiness in that ugly world. Paradise is within his grasp. Send the next text soon.” 

“Whatever you say.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)


	7. Day 3 Evening: Two Steps Forward and Three Steps Back

Connecting . . . 

Connection Established . . . 

He smirked, his face illuminated by the light of his monitors. Demons danced behind him, they stretched to the top of the ceiling, screaming and pleading for an end. He couldn’t hear them, not with the lifestream of Heaven inside of him. He watched as the group of sinners laughed amongst each other. It’s quite a sight for an angel to observe those devils act so carefree in that dirty world. He wondered, is there an angel amongst those devils? One being led astray by that blind satan? Savior thinks the new cog into her plan is an angel. 

The fallen angel ran his finger along the mouse wheel. He stared at the hidden angels name. This angel, like himself, had tattered wings and burn marks on the soles of his feet from his travels through Hell. He wanted to save that little angel, just as he himself was saved so long ago. Heaven coursed through him, he wanted it to course through this one as well. 

The bottle of Heaven glistened against the glow of the monitors. Such a simple yet delicate bottle. To think it’s gentle liquid held the answers to freedom. The thing was… this fallen angel wondered why freedom had to be so painful. Was that the sin leaving? Or…

 

~*~*~*~ 

Zack sighed as he sat in the middle of the papers he had went through. Each one felt like some kind of clue. Some held what felt like an anagrams, others were nothing but numbers that  could translate to letters but that just led to more of a garbled mess, and some just held those stupid doodles. All of it overwhelmed him. He just wanted to quit and have them deal with this damn mess, but he couldn’t get himself to do it. He **needed** to know what it all meant. 

He had decided that he’d take some random jobs in order to save enough to get to Sunshine Orphanage. The only thing he’d be able to afford right now was just a bus ticket. They said that the parties took a few months to coordinate so he had plenty of time for now. At least until the end of his vacation. 

“Hmph.” When he goes home none of this will even matter anymore. All the secrets would be miles upon miles away from him. In fact, why did he even care? “Good question.” He mumbled to himself. Maybe it was because he wanted to believe them, maybe it was because he felt bad for them, or maybe he was just nosy. Detective work was not his strong point, obviously (just look at his failed engagement). But for some reason, he really believed that he could solve this. 

A soft hum coming from his phone pulled him away from his thoughts. He rummaged through the piles of potential evidence before finally noticing the glow coming from behind a paper. It wasn’t a number he recognized but his phone didn’t identify it as a scam. 

“Hello?” 

“Is this Mr. Rein?” It was some woman. 

“Speaking.” 

“Hello, my name is Dr. Faustus and I received an email from you through the Rika Fundraising Association.” 

Zack’s heart nearly stopped. 

“O-oh hello.” He quickly stood up and carefully walked through the land mine of papers. “I, uhm, I’m sorry to have unprofessionally reached you through the work emails.” 

“Please don’t worry about that. My colleagues and I read through your email and it was unanimously decided that I should talk to you. And I 100% agree. You see Zachary, I was in a position quite like yours when I was around 30. I would prefer to do this in person but seeing as you’re contacting us through the RFA I take it you’re not from Ireland?” 

“No. Oh is that where you are?“ 

“Yes, you see, the Mind’s Eye association is located all over the world. And while we do have a member there in Korea, I just really connected with your story.” 

“Thank you. I uhm, noticed you don’t have the acc- uh well…” 

“Have the accent? No, my husband is from here, I’m from Canada. Where are you from Mr. Rein?” 

“Wisconsin.” 

“I see, is this a small town?” 

“Yeah, really small. I’ve never actually been away from home this long.” 

“I understand how you feel,” Dr. Faustus chuckled, “I’m from a small town as well. You can imagine my parents surprise when I up and left for Ireland.” 

Zack chuckled through his nose. He shifted in his stance awkwardly and thumbed one of the papers he had been trying to decode. 

“Well, Mr. Rein let’s start with what you’re comfortable with. Would you like to tell me about your engagement?” 

He took in a deep breath. “Yeah.” 

** ~* 5 Years Ago *~  **

It was a White Christmas. Zack sat on the steps outside the church rolling a match between his fingers. He looked up at the cloudy sky and smiled when he saw the small speckles of snow dancing down before becoming one with the ground. Even though he could feel the cold biting through his clothing and nipping his nose, he just didn’t care. He lifted his feet and moved it away from the stone steps. He hated how snow looked when it had been trampled on, he preferred it looking perfect. 

He leaned back against one of the steps until he felt his back pop. The inviting sound of chorus angels softly echoed across the cold, faithful, morning. Zack hummed along with the music and closed his eyes. He let the powder snow land on his face, becoming a part of nature was almost beautiful. He could hear the doors to the church creak open. He just kept humming as he felt a warm presence sit next to him. 

“Told my grandparents.” The voice mumbled. 

Zack just leaned against the figure and held their hand. _His_ hand was always so warm and caring. 

“They’re… mad to say the least. I told them during mass so, you know… they couldn’t really say much.” _He_ chuckled. “But I guess it doesn’t matter now.” 

Zack shook his head. 

“I have the keys to the truck. I’m ready whenever you are.” 

“Let’s go now.” Zack mumbled. “I’m ready to start my life.” 

“Me too.” 

** ~* Phone Call *~  **

“That Christmas Day, we moved in together. We took the old beat up truck, picked up the bags we secretly had packed, and then moved into this dingy apartment. But it was ours… and as cliche as it sounds, I loved it. It was home. Unlike _him,_ my parents aren’t against my sexuality. They had always been pretty lenient on my beliefs. They told me, when I was about fifteen, that when I became an adult I was allowed to choose my own religion and, well, pretty much anything else. _His_ family… they really disowned him. It was like years of love meant nothing. But, you see, _his_ parents worked a lot and traveled constantly, _his_ gram and gramps literally raised him. I think _his_ actual parents love him… I dunno, _he_ never said anything, but I think it hurt _him_ a lot that _his_ grandparents just stopped talking to _him_. I don’t think _he_ ever got over it. And… well… when they died…” 

** ~* 4 Years Ago *~  **

“It was a beautiful funeral.” Hannah smiled as she placed down her roses. “How’s _he_ holding up?” 

Zack sighed. “I… don’t know. _He_ won’t talk to me.” 

Hannah looked back. “Luka’s family made quite the feast.”

He nodded as he watched Luka and _him_ talk quietly to each other. It was really kind of Luka to offer his help in all of this, even with the sort of odd relationship all three held, Luka was still someone Zack secretly looked up too. _He_ looked over and nodded, _his_ eyes so puffy and red from the nights of crying. 

** ~* Phone Call *~  **

“Mr. Rein, I must ask you, why do you always refer to your ex as _he_ or _him_. You always seem to put an emphasis on how you say it. You never say his name.” 

“Oh… I didn’t even realize. I guess…” He bit his lip, “I guess it just hurts to say his name.” 

“Why don’t we try to say it?” 

Zack took in a deep breath. It was just a stupid name, he could say it, no problem. 

** ~* 4 Years Ago *~  **

“Let’s see…” Zack flipped through the college catalog. _He…_ that is, Lloyd, was at the counter cutting the fresh vegetables from Mrs. Coldwater. “Man, I can’t believe you’re going to be a lawyer! God! I gotta step up my game!”

Lloyd looked over and smiled. “With your support I-“ 

** ~* Phone Call *~  **

“-Mr. Rein, your voice is choking.” 

Zack gritted his teeth. “Oh yeah?” 

“Have you cried?” 

Such a simple question pissed Zack off to no end. “… Why should I?” 

“Mr. Rein, it isn’t wrong for you to cry. Tell me, why have you refrained from crying?” 

He sat down on his bed and gripped his hair. “I just… don’t want it to be real. I… I think that when I get home, I just hope that he’ll be there at the airport and then… everything will return to normal.” 

“I see…” 

Zack dug the palm of his free hand into the edge of the bedside table. “I know it won’t happen! But…” He didn’t want to talk anymore. “I… am very busy. Ya, I need to get to w-…work. Goodbye.” 

“Mr. Rein I-“ 

Click. 

_When I get home… will you be there waiting for me?_

Zack pressed the curve of his phone to his forehead and let out a slow breath. He knew he shouldn’t have done that. To take his mind off of it, he sorted the papers and placed them in special colored folders. He’d just look this over again later, right now he needed to take a walk, maybe go out and enjoy a nice meal. No drinks though. He couldn’t trust himself near alcohol right now. 

~* 

He didn’t even realize it, maybe this is where he felt the most comfort nowadays?Zack sat on a shaded bench as he pet Butty. He had bought the cat a brush about two weeks into the day he met him, right now he found it comforting to just lightly brush out the orange fur. “The memories I hold… Butty, I don’t know why, but I feel better talking to you than to anyone else, even my own friends.” He breathed in slowly. “I know I’m an idiot. I’ve known that for a long time. You know, Butty, I really love _love_. I just love romance and all that mushy stuff. I felt like such an idiot for believing that I could one day have my own prince or princess. But… whenever I pictured myself with that significant other I was disgusted.” The cat purred. “Right? I mean, when I used to look at myself I didn’t see anything that could be deemed desirable. I think if I was a character in the movie, I’d be the background character that you can barely see. Well… I thought that way at least. I mean, I’m not _that_ interesting. I’m a hermit by heart, my mood is such crap, and agh… if I lived with a clone of myself… I’d kill that clone because they’d annoy the living hell out of me.” He looked up at metal ceiling of the bus stop he was sitting under. “How does anyone stand me? I should call right?” Butty dug his claws into Zack’s forearm. “No? No. But what is it Butty? I mean I acknowledge that I’m annoying but I’m not _that_ bad am I?” Butty stood up and readjusted his seat on Zack’s lap. “See? You’re still here. And my friends like me… Right? Ugh this sucks!” 

He leaned back and opened the RFA app. 

> **Zack:** What’s everyone up to? 
> 
> **707:** I  was trying to fall asleep  
>  **707:** But every time I get comfy I get woken up!!   
>  **707:** ARRRRGHHH 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** T_T 
> 
> **707:** Your stars changed  
>  **707:** Oh right cuz I updated the server 

Zack lowered his phone. “I kinda only want to talk about me. God… Selfish. Bastard.” He smacked his cheeks. 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What’s up? Why can’t you sleep? 
> 
> **707:** I got a call from work right when I was ready to get some shut eye  
>  **707:** I’ve been working non-stop!! 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m sorry man, hopefully you can finally get that rest that you deserve. 
> 
> **707:** I wish! They gave me more work T_T T_T T_T 

“You see, this reminds me of Ll… of _him_ … When _he_ first started working, things were always like this. Since I only went to school from, like, 10-3pm I would make sure that I had the house ready for _him_. Some people would call that being a domestic couple or a house husband, but really I just wanted to make it nice for _him._ You know, it really warmed my heart to act like that. It was something I had always fantasized when I was a teenager. I would see my mother do that and when dad looked so relieved or happy… I dunno. I guess, after telling my parents my dream to be some sort of house husband, it made my dad kinda like ‘ugh really’. Gahaha!” He sniffed.

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Don’t worry Seven ^^;   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** : Hey, you have hundreds of boxes of HBC right?   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** care to spare? 
> 
> **707:** Do I? Hmm… 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah give me some too
> 
> **707:** Oh! Well since you asked! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Wut, you’ll only tell him? 
> 
> **707:** Actually yes! Zachary! I have a little game for you
> 
> **Zack:** Okay shoot
> 
> **707:** I feel like playing….   
>  **707:** Drumroll please 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Why won’t you tell me T_T 
> 
> **Zack:** badadadadadadada
> 
> **707:** Thank you!   
>  **707** : Never have I ever 
> 
> **Zack:** Okay 
> 
> **707:** Yay! I’ve always wanted to play  
>  **707:** With friends lol!   
>  **707:** Not in a ‘life or death’ kind of way lolol! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yoosung, you play too
> 
> **707:** ooooo~ 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Okay! I’ve always wanted to play too 
> 
> **707:** Hold up “|||” fingers
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** ||| 
> 
> **Zack:** |||
> 
> **707:** Never have I ever cheated on a test! |||
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Why would you ever? 
> 
> **Zack:** || 
> 
> **707:** lololol! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Zack! 
> 
> **Zack:** It was a test on the periodic table! It’s not like it was my college tests. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Well… true 
> 
> **707:** lolol! Okay! Yoosung ask a question! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Oh! Okay  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Never have I ever…

“You know, I’ve been having a blast cooking with the Yi’s. Maybe I should start asking for more lessons.” 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Never have I ever snuck out from my home
> 
> **707:** Lol guilty! || 
> 
> **Zack:** Me too. | 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** T_T what?   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Am I the only one who isn’t spontaneous? 
> 
> **707:** Well, lol, it doesn’t matter if you sneak out now, cuz you’re an adult and you live alone
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I feel like I should do something edgy
> 
> **Zack:** Ride a motorcycle 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** ZEN has one! Maybe I should ride with him! Do you think he’d let me? 
> 
> **Zack:** Probably? 
> 
> **707:** Lol no. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What why? 
> 
> **707:** A. you’re not a girl   
>  **707:** And B.   
>  **707:** There is no B, that’s the only reason 
> 
> **Zack:** Good point 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Maybe! I could disguise myself
> 
> **707:** Lolol that desperate? 
> 
> **Zack:** What if he falls for girl Yoosung?  
>  **Zack:** You have that ‘corrupt me’ vibe going on. 
> 
> **707:** ZEN has mentioned being a “beast in bed” before 
> 
> **Zack:** Well shit, good luck Yoosung
> 
> **707:** I kinda want him to do it now
> 
> **Zack:** It would be interesting   
>  **Zack:** Could Yoosung pull it off? 
> 
> **707:** Let’s see, get a blonde or black wig 
> 
> **Zack:** Little bit of pink lipstick 
> 
> **707:** Dress him in either baby blue or purple 
> 
> **Zack:** Coral’s may look good on him
> 
> **707:** Right!   
>  **707:** Oh! And not only would he have that innocent girl vibe   
>  **707:** Buuuttt 
> 
> **Zack:** Sweet, innocent, nerdy/geeky girl
> 
> **707:** Exactly!!! Lololol! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Guys….   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You’re right, I could totally pull it off.
> 
> **Zack:** Now that would be living life on the edge
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You’re right :O 
> 
> **707:** But that’s just a hypothetical.  
>  **707:** You wouldn’t _really_ want to do that would you Yoosung?
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Well, I mean the plan seems foolproof 
> 
> **Zack:** Lol

“Huh… man, talking to them really makes me feel better Butty.” 

> **707:** Well well, food for thought   
>  **707:** Zack your turn! 
> 
> **Zack:** Never have I ever climbed a rock wall 
> 
> **707:** Boo! |
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What!? Seriously?! 
> 
> **707:** For a mission lol! I had to do some training
> 
> **Zack:** Are you secretly jacked? 
> 
> **707:** Lol you wanna know? You gotta find out on your own. 
> 
> **Zack:** So basically I’ll learn if I get nice and close to you right? 
> 
> **707:** Lol how close is close?
> 
> **Zack:** Depends, do you consider pressed together too close?
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What? Are you guys flirting? 
> 
> **707** : Lol you’re too young 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s called being a tease 
> 
> **707:** Lolol if you wanna execute your ZEN plan you gotta learn from the masters
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I’m not going to do the ZEN thing!   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** But wut? You 2 are the masters? 
> 
> **707:** Well yeah 
> 
> **Zack:** Can’t you feel the sexual tension? 
> 
> **707:** Lol read a room Yoosung 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What? What the heck is going on? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yoosung!! 
> 
> **707:** Language! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What? I just said heck 
> 
> **Zack:** I am offended 
> 
> **707:** Yoosung, that word is more offensive than all the worst, hard, words alive!!
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** It is?!? 
> 
> **707:** Yes! It’s one of the most universal bad words! 
> 
> **Zack:** You could start wars with that word Yoosung
> 
> **707:** You’d be better off saying nincompoop! 
> 
> **Zack:** Or granny-panties! 
> 
> **707:** ^ That one is perfect. You wouldn’t offend anyone that way. 
> 
> **Zack:** God, I almost had a heart attack. 
> 
> **707:** I feel so dirty now 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I didn’t even know! I’m so so so sorry guys! I almost caused a national incident!!   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Okay! granny-panties 

An old woman sat next to him. Zack pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. His hands were shaking as he tried to write properly. He snorted as he fought to hold in his laughter. 

> **Zack:** Better say it ten times out loud so it becomes imprinted in your brain 
> 
> **707** : Good idea, you don’t want to slip up again 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Okay! I’ll do that right now! 
> 
> **Zack:** good
> 
> **707:** Now back to the game. Never have I ever been pranked on this day 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Mmm nope! I haven’t! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, nope 
> 
> **707:** Lololol! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Okay I said it ten times
> 
> **Zack:** Good
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** : Never have I ever been kissed
> 
> **707:** Lol I’m out 
> 
> **Zack:** me too 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What! I knew Zack would but  **you** Seven!? Who?! 
> 
> **707:** I don’t kiss and tell :D 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Is it really just me who’s never been kissed T_T 
> 
> **Zack:** Poor, nerdy, bean 
> 
> **707:** I bet that ZEN plan is looking better and better now
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** : Well…   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Surely not even Jumin’s been kissed 
> 
> **Zack:** Poor, handsome, bean
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I wonder if he’s ever even wanted to kiss? 
> 
> **707:** Lol doesn’t feel like he ever would 
> 
> **Zack:** Maybe he’s one of those people who kinda don’t care about that stuff. 
> 
> **707:** Yeah! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You mean he doesn’t think about it constantly? 
> 
> **Zack:** Poor, sad, nerdy, cute, little, bean 
> 
> **707:** Lol just kiss a potato 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** ugh…   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** If I had Jumin’s looks… 
> 
> **Zack:** You’d be a kissing machine?
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** No! 
> 
> **707:** Lol liar 
> 
> **Zack:** Jumin’s more endearing because he’s stoic 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Wha? Really? 
> 
> **Zack:** You can’t be so desperate young grasshopper 
> 
> **707:** Lol true. I can smell it from here. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I’m not  that desperate
> 
> **Zack:** Your profile message is literally “Where’s my princess?” 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** W-well 
> 
> **707:** Lololol! You just need to find your LOLOL princess 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **: I wish!!**
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Do you think!?! 
> 
> **707:** Yup! 
> 
> **Zack:** Don’t get catfished 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** True… it wouldn’t be the first time. 
> 
> **707:** Awww lol! 
> 
> **Zack:** Look, I feel you. I was super weak to the idea of love. I make myself cringe just thinking about how I once was.   
>  **Zack:** but maybe you and I should both take a page out of Jumin’s book
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What? Why? 
> 
> **Zack:** I was thinking about this while I was walking.   
>  **Zack:** While I don’t agree with Jumin’s approach on everything, I do wish that I had the ability to separate emotion over life.   
>  **Zack:** Maybe not to his extreme  
>  **Zack:** But at least in some situations.   
>  Zack: Because I had a chance of taking a step towards something, but I let my emotions get the better of me and I ran away again. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** So… you think both of us are too emotional? 

The bus came by. The old woman got up and left leaving Zack alone once more. 

> **Zack:** There’s nothing wrong with emotions  
>  **Zack:** But when it gets the better of you  
>  **Zack:** I dunno, but I wouldn’t want to see you trying to get revenge on someone or getting hurt 
> 
> **707:** Don’t you worry Zoozoo! The past is the past! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Yeah! You’re with the RFA now! We aim to please! 

“The RFA… I hope it’s just my imagination. But, considering what I’ve found… I just don’t know. I want to believe them, I mean they seem so nice. But this damn “charity” is such bull shit.” 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** And it’s here in the RFA that we work hard to help others and each other! 
> 
> **707:** lol yup 
> 
> **Zack:** thx 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Next time I see Jumin in the chat I’m gonna ask him about that whole thing
> 
> **Zack:** Including the kissing thing? 
> 
> **707:** Lolol Zack you like that stuff too much
> 
> **Zack:** I won’t confirm nor deny. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Well! If I wanna damper my whole “desperation” smell then I better talk to him 
> 
> **707:** Yeah pew you smell 
> 
> **Zack** : Lol 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Then! “The Search for the LOLOL girlfriend” is a go!!   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **: This is a mission I will not fail!!!  
>  Yoosung** **☆** **:** (o^ ▽ ^o)
> 
> Yoosung ☆ has left the chatroom 
> 
> **707:** Lol has he learned anything? 
> 
> **Zack:** Doubt it
> 
> **707** : He’s gonna look for a girl on LOLOL eh? 
> 
> **Zack:** Seven, no. 
> 
> **707:** Seven, yes!   
>  **707:** Operation “LOLOL girlfriend” is a go! 
> 
> **Zack:** God
> 
> **707:** That I am!   
>  **707:** Teehee! Well since YS won the game I guess I’ll send him a box of HBC   
>  **707:** He deserves that much
> 
> **Zack:** You’re so kind
> 
> **707:** Exacto mundo!   
>  **707:** I have some work left but I’m going to take a power nap!   
>  **707:** See you later tease buddy! 
> 
> **Zack:** Ciao 
> 
> 707 has left the chatroom 
> 
> **Zack:** I swear I’m not _that_ big of a flirt 

~* 

“So Mr. Rein,” Zack was sitting in an isolated room at the local library. He hunched over as he pressed his fingers to his temple while he video chatted with Dr. Faustus, “let’s get back to talking about your mother. You said you and her are very close.” 

It had been two hours since he started talking with the Doctor again. After realizing with Butty and the two RFA members, he decided that he would take that step once again. He figured that he could talk to Jumin about steeling your nerves all he wanted, but if he never applied anything then none of it would matter. That being said, he avoided any and all topics on Lloyd. If he so much as started getting into a story or memory that involved him, Zack would come to a near shut down. The problem with this was,  every story involved Lloyd. He was such a big part in Zack’s life. 

“I’ve told you already, my mom is just this crazy and lovable woman. And I get that you’re trying to find connections in my life with my father but… me and my father are on good terms. He’s strict but not cruel.” 

“Well, the only reason I ask,” Dr. Faustus pushed back her long red hair, she reminded him of Aerial, “is because you say that you feel as if your actions is what drove Lloyd away. Learning how you were raised gives me more insight as to who you are.” 

“Okay…” He sighed and leaned back. 

“Do you have a cat?” 

“No. Just a little friend I made.” He brushed off the orange fur. “I… look I really don’t feel like getting into Ll… _him_ right now.” 

“I understand.” 

“Can we just talk about payment?” 

“Well… alright.” 

Once the call was over Zack sighed and gripped the sides of his head. “I can’t afford this.” If he wanted to get help he’d need to leave the RFA and this trip behind and get back home. Then, there was the whole not-having-a-job thing. To make matters worse, he lost his health insurance when he was fired from the law firm. “Sunshine Orphanage.” That name rang through his head the whole time they discussed payment. Dr. Faustus wasn’t a cruel woman, she was willing to help him in all of these financial blocks but… No matter how much help she gave him he’d still need to run home. 

Zack leaned back and lightly thunked his head against the wall. All of this was starting to annoy him. First the RFA was a hell-spawn of secrets and now he was just not financially stable enough to get the mental health he needed. There was one option, the one he liked the best at least, deal with these things himself. Sure he didn’t have the best track record right now, but he new that if he wanted to kill two birds with one stone he’d have to revert back to his old way of doing things. 

All he had to do was stay away from alcohol. 

He didn’t want to be so rude to Dr. Faustus but talking to her just irked him even more. He wasn’t opposed to talking about his feelings, in fact he adored talking about himself (he was slightly vain), but when it came to  _personal_ things he just turned away. It wasn’t a quality he boasted about. All of this was… stupid. People get cheated on and divorce from their partners all the time. Why did this effect him so much? People go through this and then they recover. So why him? 

Why him? 

Why did the person he loved so much leave him? 

Why couldn’t they talk about it? 

Why did Lloyd get with someone else so quickly? 

Why… is love so fickle? 

Zack sighed and signed out of his Skype. He gathered his things and left for home. All of this was too much. Just… too much. 

He glanced over at the bars he passed and bit his lip. 

Ignore… 

     Ignore… 

          Ignore… 

~* 

“Here’s your beer.” 

Zack nodded as thanks before leaning back into the booth. He brought the foamy drink to his lips and closed his eyes in bliss at the bitter, yeasty, taste of light beer. He shoved in his ear buds and started to drown out everything. The noise, the world, his senses, he wanted it all to drown. 

He could run but he could never hide from the truth. 

“Well!” Some plain guy sat at his booth. 

“What?” Zack pulled out a bud. 

“It’s me! Hyun! Sarah’s boyfr… uh, S-Sarah’s friend.” 

“Oh right.” Zack sighed, _that guy_. “If you’re here then that means you-“ 

“Oh Mr. Han? Hahah he’s out doing his own thing, yeah. Sometimes it’s easy being his body guard, sometimes it’s not.” He sniffed. “But lately it’s been pretty hard.” 

Zack mentally rolled his eyes. “You need to talk?” 

“Really!? I… could really use a friend right now.” 

_Seeing as it’s Jumin… this could take all night._ “I’ll listen if you promise to make sure I only drink three beers.” 

“You got it!” 

~* 

“So, let me get this straight. Your girlfriend dumped you for some other dudes money?” 

“That’s right… I… I tried so hard, you know? I took a lot of extra shifts not only at C&R but other places as well. I’m not as smart, or rich, or handsome as this other guy so… I understand why she needs someone else. I could never provide her the life she dreams of.” 

“That’s selfish. What the hell!” Zack slammed down his fist. “I knew she looked like a snobby bitch!” 

Hyun glared sharply. 

“S-sorry.” Zack slightly reeled at the sudden death glare. 

“…” 

Zack swallowed, his buzz started to die. 

“I think that will be your last drink tonight.” Hyun’s voice was dark and cold. 

Zack shivered slightly. _Note to self, don’t ever get this guy pissed_. 

“R-right.” He rubbed his thumbs together. There was a long awkward silence. “I… sorry.” He bit his lip. “But I… it’s happened to me before too kinda.” 

Hyun’s face softened. “Really?” 

“My… my ex left me for someone better. Someone who would…” What _could_ Luka do that Zack couldn’t? Luka wasn’t working for a lawyer, he worked in his families business in the smallest town in Wisconsin. “Someone better.” _Luka… wasn’t such a dick like me. He was quiet and little harsh but… he was a good person. I…_ “And this break-up is super recent so… I’m sorry I was so rude about Sarah. I… guess when I was listening to you I just got angry and projected my feelings of my ex onto her.” 

Hyun smiled sadly. “Don’t worry. Just… don’t let me hear you say things like that again.” 

“I won’t. Ever.” Now that that had finally blown over, “So… uhm, so what are you going to do now?” 

“Huh? _Do now_? What _can_ I do?” 

Zack looked at his reflection in his darkened phone screen. His face. Since when did it get so sullen looking? He gritted his teeth. “You fight!” Zack slammed his fist down. “You fight and fight and fight!” He shot up.“Cuz he doesn’t really love that other guy! Not one bit! So steal. Him. Back! He’s mine for fucks sake!!” 

“He?” 

“I-I meant she! She’s _yours_.” He sat down defeated. “I… uhm so yeah! You got this Hyun! You can get your Sarah back!” 

“Get her back huh… Yeah. Yeah! I can’t give up just yet!” Hyun nodded firmly. “I… just have one last chance!” 

“Yeah!!” 

“Yeah!!” The two fist bumped. “Drinks on me! To love!” Hyun cheered. 

~* 

Zack walked back into the apartment with a spring in his step. He jumped onto the bed and spread himself out over the covers. “Comfy!” He cheered in his buzzed state. Without taking the cameras into account, he threw off his clothing and took a nice, hot, shower. He sang at the top of his lungs as he shampooed his hair. 

_Luka is the asshole who stole my husband!_ He smiled broadly, though the smile was filled with hatred, _So you bet your ass I’m not going to back down!_ What was the point of being sad? He hadn’t even put up a fight yet! And if that drunken text was any indicator of his true feelings then, it meant that he just needed to fight **fight** **FIGHT**!! 

Right? 

Who cares! 

Zack tousled his hair with the towel before plopping down at the computer and started to binge watch the Voltron show everyone obsesses over. He held his phone in one hand as he mused over the text he wanted to send to Lloyd. Before he could even start the first word the RFA chat notification pinged him back to his senses. 

Zack hummed as he slipped on his clothes. 

> **Zack:** Whaaaatt’’ssss upp! 

He was in an amazing mood right now. 

> **707:** Lol finally, you put on some clothes
> 
> **ZEN:** What!? 
> 
> **Zack:** oh yeah, I forgot ^_^ 
> 
> **707:** Lolol 
> 
> **ZEN:** You seem chipper 
> 
> **Zack:** I dunno why ¯\\_( ツ )_/¯ 
> 
> **707** : Did you talk with that therapist?
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah! But I don’t need that fickle doctor!   
>  **Zack:** You wanna know? Hmm~   
>  Zack: Well I’m not telling ( ◠﹏◠✿ ) 
> 
> **ZEN:** You’ve either had something good happen or you drank Angel’s Tears. 
> 
> **Zack:** ( 。 ♥‿♥｡ )  
>  **Zack:** I did drink Angel’s Tears! How’d you guess?! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Lucky guess  
>  **ZEN:** That drink screws you over
> 
> **707:** Zaaack! Why’d you go drinking?! 
> 
> **Zack:** Cuz I’m an adult and I can :P 
> 
> **707** : But… 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s fine! It’s fine! I drank with a friend  
>  **Zack:** He set me straight! But he did recommend the Angel’s Tears! 
> 
> **ZEN:** How many did you drink? 
> 
> **Zack:** Two! 
> 
> **ZEN:** God! Don’t die!! They put a shit ton of caffeine in there
> 
> **Zack:** Aight aight! You’re making me sober! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Good, you shouldn’t turn to alcohol for your troubles
> 
> “Okay _mom_.” Zack groaned. He pressed the palm of his hand to his mouth and sighed. 
> 
> **Zack:** Okay okay. I’m sorry. I’ll be good. 
> 
> **707:** We’re just concerned is all. 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m sorry 
> 
> **ZEN:** Okay, enough sorry’s. I have a bigger bone to pick with the two of you prank kings! 
> 
> **707:** What? 
> 
> **ZEN:** I read your last chat! And then a girl with black hair and purple eyes came up to me and asked for a date! I was so paranoid that it was Yoosung!!! 
> 
> **707:** LOLOLOLOL!!! 
> 
> **Zack:** If it wasn’t, then it was some anime main character
> 
> **707:** Lol yeah, probably a sort of tsundere character
> 
> **Zack:** You missed your chance for an anime adventure 
> 
> **707:** Choose your genre 
> 
> **ZEN:** I’d do a romance for sure
> 
> **Zack:** A harem? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Hmmm I guess it would be beneficial if I spread my handsomeness around
> 
> **Zack:** Wow
> 
> **707:** Lol seconded wow
> 
> **ZEN:** A harem it is! 
> 
> **Zack:** Ewgh 
> 
> **707:** I would rather be in those fun slice of life ones
> 
> **Zack:** I think I’d choose something really easy. One where I can just be really lazy and do whatever I want. Oh! Like maybe it’s some romance story where some rich person falls in love with me and then I get to be Cinderella for a day 
> 
> **ZEN:** So our mystery man wants to be a prince for a night? 
> 
> **Zack** : Just once, sure. 
> 
> **707:** Lol and when the clock strikes midnight? 
> 
> **Zack:** Heh I dunno 
> 
> **707:** Maybe then you’ll fall in love with the lowly knight? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh! You’re knight in shining armor? Like me? 
> 
> **Zack:** No.  
>  **Zack:** You don’t want a knight in shining armor  
>  **** Zack: You want one with kinks and dents. One who’s been through a tough battle
> 
> **707:** ☆⌒ヽ (*’ 、 ^*)chu
> 
> **Zack:** I don’t mean kinks like that Seven
> 
> **707:** LOLOL! I wasn’t thinking of it like that. 
> 
> **Zack:** Suuuuree 
> 
> **ZEN:** So basically you want to gain both the eye of the prince and the knight? Greedy
> 
> **Zack:** I never said I was a good person
> 
> **ZEN:** lol!   
>  **ZEN:** But! Back to the whole Yoosung thing
> 
> **Zack:** I ship it
> 
> **ZEN:** No! 
> 
> **707:** I better check all the fan-sites to see if they’re paired up
> 
> **Zack:** If not, I’ll write one
> 
> **707:** Kudos! 
> 
> **ZEN:** NO! 
> 
> **Zack:** Kudos give you life
> 
> **707:** Comments make you immortal 
> 
> **ZEN:** Get back to reality you two!   
>  **ZEN:** Anyways, the thing that concerns me the most is  
>  **ZEN:** that if Yoosung did do that  
>  **ZEN:** It would work 
> 
> **Zack:** lolol! I knew it 
> 
> **707:** You wouldn’t know until it was too late
> 
> **Zack:** lolol! 
> 
> **ZEN:** UGH! 
> 
> **707:** Play out all my fanfictions 
> 
> **Zack:** What peculiar tastes Seven 
> 
> **707:** There’s always an audience for it
> 
> **ZEN:** No! Ugh, I better be on my toes. 
> 
> **707:** Yeah you never know if it’s Yoosung or ME under that wig
> 
> **Zack:** It seems nearly everyone wants to awaken ‘the beast’ 
> 
> **ZEN:** They don’t know what they’re up against!   
>  **ZEN:** They think it’s endearing, but they don’t know 
> 
> **707:** Lol! Ooo la la~ 
> 
> **Zack:** Release the beast 
> 
> **ZEN** : No!   
>  **ZEN:** No woman or man would be able to resist me!   
>  **ZEN:** It would cause  
>  **ZEN:** Mass hysteria 
> 
> **Zack:** Someones confident in their skills 
> 
> **ZEN:** You don’t know the half of it
> 
> **Zack:** Wow, that pisses me off for some reason
> 
> **707:** Lol it’s cuz he says it so confidently 
> 
> **ZEN:** ( っ ˘ ω ˘ ς )  
>  **ZEN:** My libido knows no bounds 
> 
> **Zack:** Ew 
> 
> **ZEN:** But that doesn’t mean I just give it to anyone 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m just going to talk about something else.   
>  **Zack:** Seven, have you done Operation Lolol girlfriend yet? 
> 
> **707:** Working on it! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Still, if I _did_ do that…  
>  **ZEN:** my god the souls of people that I would awaken 
> 
> **707:** I’m creating a character 
> 
> **Zack** : So cruel 
> 
> **707:** I won’t take it too far! Promise! 
> 
> **Zack:** Such a trickster 
> 
> **ZEN:** To think, they would get to see me in such a state   
>  **ZEN:** How lucky they are   
>  **ZEN:** They get to see something so primal  
>  **ZEN:** So strong
> 
> **Zack:** Are you done yet? 
> 
> **ZEN:** ( っ ˘ ω ˘ ς )
> 
> **Zack:** Ugh
> 
> **707:** lolol! I’m gonna get some dinner
> 
> **Zack:** Some _real_ dinner? 
> 
> **707:** I still have leftover pizza from this morning 
> 
> **Zack:** Then I approve 
> 
> **707:** Lol yay!   
>  **707** : Here’s a heart!   
>  **707:** ♥  
>  **707:** Okay! I better go! Bye bye! 
> 
> **Zack:** Bye 
> 
> 707 has left the chatroom 
> 
> **ZEN:** Really Zack, please don’t drink so much
> 
> **Zack:** Okay 
> 
> **ZEN:** I understand the feeling of wanting to drink.   
>  **ZEN:** I used to do it all the time  
>  **ZEN:** But you can’t let that be your habit  
>  **ZEN:** I now use riding on my bike as a way of escapism  
>  **ZEN:** Watching the scenery   
>  **ZEN** : feeling the wind on my face  
>  **ZEN:** it really comforts you
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, I got it
> 
> **ZEN:** I’m not trying to be a downer but…  
>  **ZEN:** I don’t want you to live in regrets 
> 
> **Zack:** Okay, thanks
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah ^_^   
>  **ZEN:** Well I gotta do some stuff. I’ll talk to you later  
>  **ZEN:** bye
> 
> **Zack:** see ya 
> 
> ZEN has left the chatroom 

Zack tossed his phone aside and rolled his shoulders. The feeling of your life getting out of control was the worst experience ever. It was as if the days meant nothing anymore. First the bruises, which still hadn’t disappeared yet, and now his slow obsession with drinking. ZEN was right, he needed to find a new, healthy, outlet. But what? 

~* 

Zack yawned as he rolled over onto his stomach. He had been reading through the Rika files for the past four hours now trying to figure out this woman’s secrets. He tapped his pen against his lips as he looked at the anagrams.   
Time nye? 

Mine Tye?   
Mint Eye? 

He wasn’t sure, none of it made any sense. The eye thing… well somewhat did make sense seeing as Rika drew eyes like crazy. In fact, they were starting to creep him out. It was as if the secrets to the RFA was watching his every move. He took a long breath and rested his head in his arms. It was no use, he just wasn’t clever enough to figure this out. 

Sunshine, he needed to get there. Screw the therapy. 

This better be worth it. 

His phone buzzed.   
His heart stopped. 

> V has entered the chatroom 

He shot up and swiped his phone out of the charger. 

> **Zack:** You! 
> 
> **V:** Zack, I’m happy you’re in the chat
> 
> **Zack:** You have a lot to answer for! 
> 
> **V:** I understand. 
> 
> **Zack:** You! And this charity! 
> 
> **V:** I will try to answer all your questions
> 
> **Zack:** You won’t _try._ You will! 
> 
> **V:** I understand your confusions and your questions   
>  **V:** I take it you’ve been looking into our past finances 
> 
> **Zack:** The numbers don’t add up
> 
> **V:** I assure you we never embezzled funds 
> 
> **Zack:** I looked at Rika’s funding estimates   
>  **Zack:** Something isn’t right 
> 
> **V:** I see  
>  **V:** And what have you found?
> 
> **Zack:** Her numbers are way off
> 
> Jumin Han has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **V:** How so? 
> 
> **Zack:** On her papers she makes an estimate on how much you made at one party   
>  **Zack:** Compared to the papers Jumin gave me  
>  Zack: She made this huge sum of money but a part of it didn’t go to the charities 
> 
> **V:** I see 
> 
> **Zack:** Then, on the later parties  
>  **Zack:** There is a slot for a third charity   
>  Zack: But on Jumin’s it doesn’t exist
> 
> **V:** I see 
> 
> **Zack:** Will you stop saying that!? 
> 
> **V:** You’ve been doing your homework 
> 
> **Zack:** The papers  
>  **Zack:** All the files have weird things on them 
> 
> **V:** Rika was very careful on the data she gathered 
> 
> **Zack:** So much so that she coded everything? 
> 
> **V:** Yes, she was afraid people would use the information for bad intentions 
> 
> **Zack:** I don’t believe you 
> 
> **V:** I understand that you don’t   
>  **V** : We are asking too much from you   
>  **V:** And considering what you’ve went through 
> 
> **Zack:** Forget all that!   
>  **Zack:** don’t bring that up to distract me 
> 
> **V:** I wasn’t   
>  **V:** I just didn’t want you to feel so stressed  
>  **V:** It seems that 
> 
> **Zack:** No  
>  **Zack:** I know. I don’t seem stable because I turn to the bottle for comfort   
>  **Zack:** And I know I seem unstable from my random changes in emotions   
>  **Zack** : I get it. One minute I’m laughing with the others, the next I’m being a hard ass   
>  **Zack:** I believe in their kindness more than I would ever believe in yours  
>  **Zack** : But I assure you that I am level headed enough for this   
>  **Zack:** If I wasn’t, I would just blindly listen to you  
>  **Zack:** I don’t care if the others hold you with such high regard   
>  **Zack:** If I want to believe you then I think it’s okay to doubt you   
>  **Zack:** Believe me, I want to believe in this group  
>  Zack: But if you can’t look at me in the eye and say that this charity has never

He was cut off. 

V was calling him. 

Zack gritted his teeth and steeled himself. The effects of Angel’s Tears had already waned. All that was left now was a bubbling anger. “Why’d you call? You don’t want record of this?” That being said, he started to record the call. Legally, he should tell him. But… 

“I… that is correct.” V was hesitating. He could feel it in his voice. “I… I can’t tell you what lies beneath this group.” 

“So there _is_ something!?” _Jackpot!_

“Yes… but Zack, I need you to stop now. Before you get hurt you need to stop.” 

“What? That’s it? I need to _stop_? So you just want me to put the evidence away and then skip around like everything’s all lemon squares?” 

“I… I know that this is difficult to ask of you but-“ 

“But what!? What the hell V?!” 

“I know!” Zack was taken aback by the sudden outburst. “I know that things don’t look right! Because they… tsk! Listen Zachary Rein, please! Do not keep digging into this! I am trying my damndest to fix everything.” 

“W-wha-“ 

“I need you to please focus on the party. Please give everyone something hopeful to look forward to!” 

“A-and what about the funds that they earn!? What are you going to do with them!?” 

“I cross my heart that they will go to the rightful charities. I will have Jumin look over it with you. You were a financial lawyer’s assistant right? I will make sure you receive all the facts for **this** charity.” 

Zack clenched his jaw. “Just what happened!? These people seem kind! What is with all this secrecy!?” He was starting to get annoyed. 

“I know. I know this looks bad Zack but… I can’t say! So please, stop looking into this. Do not do anything reckless!” 

“What is Sunshine Orphanage?” 

V nearly choked. “Th-that…” 

Zack smirked. “What’s so special about that place?” 

“I…” 

“If you don’t tell me, I’m going there right now.” 

“No Zachary! Stop prying into these things! I promise you! I will not slide you! I will not fool you! I will give you all the information on everything for **this** party! Just please! Please do _not_ look into that place!” 

Zack rolled his eyes and crossed his fingers. “I promise.” He needed to get there soon. 

“I… good.” It didn’t feel like V believed him. That didn’t bother Zack any, he didn’t believe V either. “Just… please. For your own safety.” 

“Right. Promise.” 

“Are you… are you going to be out tomorrow?” 

_Uh oh… why is he asking?_ “Yes.” 

“I see, well keep an eye out for the chats. I will have my decision on when the party should be held by then.” 

“Yup.” Zack glanced at this files and then the camera. He need to get to a copier. “Okay.” 

“Alright then… Please, heed my words. Goodbye.” 

Zack breathed out slowly. He hadn’t realized he had been shaking this whole time. With unsteady hands he logged back into the RFA. 

> **Jumin Han:** So you talked with V  
>  **Jumin Han** : I take it your questions have not been answered
> 
> **Zack:** What makes you so sure?
> 
> **Jumin Han:** V called you  
>  **Jumin Han:** It must mean there was something he couldn’t discuss out loud  
>  **Jumin Han:** And that…   
>  **Jumin Han:** Nothing. Never mind.   
>  **Jumin Han:** So you talked with the therapist but then turned them away? 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m working on it.   
>  **Zack:** I dunno. I had an easier time talking to Butty than with her
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Butty? 
> 
> **Zack:** oh  
>  **Zack:** Muffin 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Who chose the name Butty? 
> 
> **Zack:** I did
> 
> **Jumin Han** : I still believe Muffin is better 
> 
> **Zack:** yeah yeah 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Besides that, you went drinking again 
> 
> **Zack:** I was careful. Nbd  
>  **Zack:** look, things just haven’t been good okay?   
>  Zack: I’m trying
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You were discussing with Yoosung on how I can separate my emotions
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I thought of this over dinner   
>  **Jumin Han:** And I have concluded that, for you, perhaps you just need to come to terms with reality 

“What…” Zack sucked in breath. 

> **Jumin Han:** I believe that you haven’t accepted what has happened. You’ve been thrown into our group so suddenly that your mind isn’t finding a place where it can finally rest.   
>  **Jumin Han:** You either think of our finances or you think of your ex  
>  **Jumin Han:** And before, as you said, you worked yourself so hard at Pure Joy that you ignored everything you could. So your mind focused on physical labor and your ex. There was never time for you to fully take in your situation. 

Zack bit his lip. He wanted to cry. 

> **Jumin Han:** So, once you’ve let yourself fully accept your truth

Zack looked away from the phone. 

_When I get home… When I get home you’ll be there. All of this will have been one sick joke, but you’ll still love me._

_That’s what will happen._

_It will._

_It has too._

_Please._

He turned off his phone and plugged it into the charger. After taking a deep breath, he hid the files into his bag and crawled into bed. 

_I won’t let you go yet._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meow meow. 
> 
> "Seven and Zack flirt a lot." 
> 
> Eeeyup. They sure do. I am doing this on purpose but I can't tell you all yet why. Right now, it's just playful and innocent fun, to Zack that is.


	8. Day 4: Can't Hide Anymore

“Director Han’s New Girl!? Is Another Divorce on the Way!? pg. 14”

Zack lowered the magazine and sighed. Gossip tabloids were such shit shows, is what he told himself as he thumbed for page 14. He was sitting in a printing shop, all the files from Rika’s apartment stacked next to him. Copy A on his left and Copy B in his bag. Taking all this stuff was such a hassle, but after his phone call with V he suddenly got a horrible feeling. Zack swallowed as he eyed the price that was piling up for these damn papers. Luckily he was doing it front and back. 

“Director Han spotted at _Likewise_ wearing a-“ Zack sighed, why were these so stupid? He skimmed through it faster. “Glam Choi seen sitting with,” Zack eyed the woman. He scrunched his nose and then gasped. 

_It was the horrible woman! The one who stabbed me in the foot with her heel!_

“Glam Choi seen sitting with, and having a great flirtatious time, with Director Han. Is this the new Han family!? Sources say that Director Han has been seen with Glam Choi-“ God the wording was awful. Why was the article so damn long? “-been seen with Glam Choi on multiple occasions. Most notably, when he was spotted with the beautiful make guru and actress at Victoria Secret 201X.” He glanced at the picture of the two of them. There was something gross with seeing an old man watching a VS fashion show. They were beautiful models but he felt creepy for staring. The angel wings were cool though. 

He tossed the magazine aside and sighed. After this, he’d hide the copied documents at the Yi’s. From there he’d go back to the apartment and put everything back, hopefully Seven or V wasn’t there. It wasn’t as if he had proof that V would order Seven to steal the documents but… just the sudden questions from yesterday. 

_“Are you… are you going to be out tomorrow?”_

Considering the conversation, that was a rather odd question to ask. For now he had decoy documents in its place. He printed up random graphs and charts along with a binary code that read to kindly “Stop hiding things you ass”. If those papers were gone, then his suspicions would be confirmed. If that were the case, well he wasn’t entirely sure what he’d do. He’d never had to be so secretive and cunning before. Trying to be two steps ahead was exhausting. He was good at thinking up scenarios but executing them was entirely different. He would be lying if he said he liked this. 

All of this was ridiculous. A big part of him wished he had never listened to the guy at the bar. If he had just ignored him or told him to screw off, then everything would be okay. He’d just be working and that was it. Zack glanced at his bruises and sighed once more. At least they were starting to turn a sort of brownish grey. He pressed his finger into one bruise and closed his eyes. Was the RFA a complete mistake? Slowly he breathed out through his nose. What if all of this was for nothing? All of his life leading up to nothing… 

The copy he made sat comfortably in his bag. All of those papers cost him a good $20, if you converted it to USD that is. The price shot up once he photocopied everything and saved it in a new USB. He mentally cried as he handed over the money. Unfortunately, he was starting to get back into his early college worries. Twenty dollars was not something to scoff at back then, he had to be careful with his money. Now, he was back to doing the same. 

“This better be worth it.” He grumbled under his breath. With that twenty gone, he’d have to skip out on shopping next week. Unless he could find some odd jobs, he’d be screwed. 

Zack dusted his hands and slung his bag over his arm. Next stop was the Yi’s. Luckily he new the perfect place to hide the files without the Yi’s noticing. The USB he’d keep in his wallet. It was risky, but he wanted to have the copies on him at all time. As he rolled the USB in his fingers he unlocked his phone and took a look at the chats. Yeah, ever since he left the apartment Seven had been completely MIA. It wasn’t totally abnormal, he guessed, but he couldn’t help but shake the feeling that there was a reason for this. He chewed his lip as he walked down to the bus stop. 

V sounded shaken about everything, maybe he didn’t think Zack would doubt him. But surely he knew that there _were_ files there. If he didn’t want Zack near them he shouldn’t have allowed him to stay in that apartment. Was there something more to this? He stepped on the bus and took a seat in the back. There was too much evidence stacked against V for all of this to be some sort of minor misunderstanding. Based on the way V answered the only explanation could be that Rika _was_ embezzling funds. If that was the gist of it Zack would have dropped this charity. But, it seemed that embezzling funds wasn’t the only issue here. 

Zack didn’t pride himself as a good lawyer, he was just an assistant to one. He didn’t have a strong sense of justice. He was selfish and mainly cared only about the things happening in his small bubble. He found life to be a pain at times and just faced each day one at a time. He wasn’t spontaneous or adventurous. He wasn’t confident or strong. He didn’t have great skills in any shape or form. So then, he had to wonder why he felt the need to solve this mystery. 

A distraction? 

A need? 

No. 

He felt it wasn’t something so selfish. He couldn’t quite explain it but he truly felt as if he could help these people. From what? That had yet to be seen. The members on the surface seemed nice, but the charity itself held dark secrets beneath its depths. He just had to know what. At least until he went home. 

_Where Lloyd is waiting._

He clenched his fist and smiled. A woman glanced back, tensed up in fear, and quickly turned away. 

_Luka… you damn, stealing, bastard. I will take back what’s_ **_mine_ ** _._

Zack breathed out and closed his eyes. 

_I feel… strange. Like I’m lost. My dream last night was so… evil._

He had dreamt that he was with _him_ in bed. At first it was comforting, the two talked about mundane things. Suddenly he was on top of _him_ , but it wasn’t sexual in any way. Instead, he was choking _him_ slowly. The way he gripped _his_ neck was filled with nothing but anger. Suddenly he saw a rabbit outside their window. As _he_ choked for Zack to let go the rabbit was ran over by their old truck. Even from the distance he could tell the stomach was reduced to nothing. He looked back at _him_ and smirked. _He_ was dead, but _his_ face was left in a perfect picture of endless sleep. So beautiful. So… perfect. 

Zack looked up and breathed in slowly. Something wasn’t right in him. But that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was uncovering the RFA’s secrets. That was what was important. Nothing else. 

As soon as he reached his stop he made a B-line to the Yi’s shop. Once he had the files safely secured he’d be able to rest easy. Hopefully, V wouldn’t do anything rash once he learned the papers were gone. Zack wondered if he should even bother putting the originals back. What if V figured it out and then… well whatever the hell was going on here could either end good or badly for Zack. It all came down to _what_ was on these papers and _why_ they were so important. He just hoped he could figure it out. 

“Mr. Rein!” Mrs. Yi walked up to him. “Oh goodness, shouldn’t you be resting young man?” 

Oh right, he told them he was coming down with something. Zack smiled sheepishly. “I’m fine, I swear.” 

Mrs. Yi eyed him with her kind, old, face. “You better not be lying Mr. Rein.” 

Zack nodded. “Actually, I was wondering, I pretty much cleaned up all of the outer building, so maybe it’d be okay if I could learn to bake more?” 

“Oh! We would be happy to! Come in, come in! Our part-timer isn’t here yet so we could really use the extra hands.” 

_Of course he isn’t, the jerk._ “I would love to.” _That bastard better be getting a pay dock._ “But first, may I just wash up real quick?” 

“Of course!” Zack helped her inside and waved over at Mr. Yi who was playing chess on the computer. These two, just how old were they? He sighed sadly, they really did remind him of his grandparents. 

Sentimental feelings aside, Zack slipped into the bathroom and opened the linen closet. Here would be good, underneath the towels on the second shelf. Carefully he pulled out each file and placed it in the far back. After this he’d put the original files in Hannah’s brother’s wife’s vacation home. Then, everything would be okay. 

Files A safely hidden, he slung his bag over his shoulder and gave his hands a quick wash. “Well now, what are we making today?” He smiled as he put on his apron. 

“Today we will be making chocolate eclairs, lemon-berry Savarin, and chocolate crepe cake.” 

“Ooo boy.” He laughed. “You’re really putting me through the wringer.” 

Mrs. Yi smiled. “This will be testing your skills today.” 

His phone started to ring. “Oh, um, let me just get that real quick, I’ll be right there.” He swiftly excused himself and dug through his bag. “Hello?” 

“Where… uhm… where are you?” It was Seven. 

“I’m, uh, I’m working.” 

“So then… where are they?” 

Zack felt his neck prickle in fear. “Where are you?” 

“Just tell me where I can find them. I saw you leave with a bag this morning. Where did you take them?” 

Zack closed his eyes and ground his teeth. “I… just tell V that it’s gone.” 

“But-“ 

“I’m busy. Bye.” He wondered if he was slowly antagonizing himself with the RFA. After this, would he be locked out of the apartment? Or even the RFA itself? If that happened then he’d just call it quits. He’d hide the documents or maybe he’d shred them and then he’d go home. 

****_To what? What’s waiting for you back there?  
_ _Lloyd is.  
_ **_Is he really? Will he really be waiting there for you? Will he really want you back?_ **

_He’s there. He wants me home. He has to be. And then  
_ **_I’ll force him to marry me._ **

Zack stared down at his ring and smiled. 

“Ready to cook!” He smiled _cheerfully_ **_~~lying to himsel~~ f_ ** **_._ **

~* 

Zack dusted his fingers off of flour. “Whew, those recipes were tough.” 

“You did great Mr. Rein. You seem to really have a knack for baking!” 

“Yeah! I’m loving it so much.” 

“It was great help, our part-timer never showed up.” Mrs. Yi smiled sadly. “But hopefully he will tomorrow for his check.” 

Zack clenched his jaw. “His _check_? Maybe you shouldn’t pay him.” 

“Oh no, I would never do that to him. He’s a young lad trying to get through college, he needs the funds.” 

_Give me the money then!_ “I guess.” He shook his head. “I don’t think you should though.” 

“If anything, that young lad is prompt for his check.” Mr. Yi laughed. 

_This isn’t funny you two! That bastard is cheating you guys._ “Tsk.” Zack looked away and washed his hands. “I’m sure he is.” He slipped on his ring and sighed. “I’ll be here tomorrow to help more.” _So fire that stupid idiot._

“Oh good! Then tomorrow we’ll be making cookies and crepes!” 

“Got it.” Zack smiled. 

“Now sit down and have your snack, dears.” Mrs. Yi ushered Zack and Mr. Yi to sit and have tea. “So Zack darling, when will you be going home to your lovely wife?” 

He smiled broadly. “Soon!” _Because I’m going to make this work._ “I’m excited to get home!” **_If that’s true, then why does your voice shake when you say it?_** “I’ll have all these new recipes to boast about.” 

“Oh you must send us pictures.” Mrs. Yi sat down with their plate of snacks. 

“Thanks. And I will.” He smiled  ~~ **_lying to himself_ ** ~~ **_._** “I’ll share recipes from my family too.” 

“Oh we’d love that.” Mr. Yi sipped his tea quietly. 

Zack glanced around the cafe and sighed. He didn’t want to leave this place. The old wood finish, the wrought iron door, the smell of coffee and cakes, he loved it all. All he needed was a gentle rain and _Beneath the Mask_ to play and then everything would be perfect. “I’m going to miss this place.” He mumbled. “After this I’ll go pull the weeds.” 

“Oh will you? Didn’t you do that yesterday?” Mr. Yi tapped his forehead. 

“Erm… No heh sorry. I was out that day. I’ll get too it post haste.” 

~* 12: 30 pm *~

Zack sighed and wiped his brow. Butty was laying under the shade of the backyard bench lazily resting after a night of whatever it was cats do. He soaked the ground and shoved his hand into the mud. He felt like he wasn’t actually here with everyone. Every movement, every sentence, every breath, it all felt like he was putting on an act. He just couldn’t understand why. Well, maybe he knew why but then… admitting it would… 

Butty rubbed up against his arm. 

“Oh. Yeah, hey.” He quickly pulled his hand out from the mud. “Ow…” He hadn’t realized he was gripping a weed with thorns the whole time. “Hey Butty.” He washed his hands with the water hose. “How was your nap?” 

Butty paced around him. 

“What? Oh the grounds too wet for you?” 

On the contrary, Butty splashed right into his muddy water. 

“Oh! Ack!” Some mud flew into his mouth. “Bleh bleh! What the heck you weird cat?” He laughed. “You’re such a dork.” Butty laid down in the mud. “Argh, just don’t lay on me.” His tail flicked, his phone buzzed. “Do you think that’s them?” He looked back. Suddenly the sun felt as if it was melting him. “Maybe I’m getting kicked out. I… better check it.” 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Maaannn it’s so hot today!   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I can’t believe I got a D on my paper T_T 

_Weird, has anything changed?_

> **Jumin Han:** It is because you don’t apply yourself. You waste your time and effort on that game. 

He wanted to type, to join in and smile with them. Something held him back. 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I know…
> 
> **Jumin Han:** If you know, then you most likely have no reason to complain about it. You see the problem, now fix it. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** This tough love thing sucks…   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:**???   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Zack! Hi! I see your tag! 

He froze. Fear and doubt rang through his mind. 

_“You either think of our finances or you think of your ex. And before, as you said, you worked yourself so hard at Pure Joy that you ignored everything you could. So your mind focused on physical labor and your ex. There was never time for you to fully take in your situation. So, once you’ve let yourself fully accept your truth.”_

He made a strangled noise. A sob. _No… No! The RFA is…_ ** _they’re a group of shady people. That’s it._** **_That’s what I sho_** _uld focus… I…_ _I am… so weak. I’m such a weak man… I know, I think. The reason you left. You left because-_

“Shut up!” He punched the wall. “No!” He gripped his hair. “I…” 

“Mr. Rein?” Mrs. Yi walked out. “I heard a noise.” 

Zack took a deep breath and smiled broadly  ~~ **_lying to himself_ ** ~~ ~~.~~ “Oh? I’m so sorry! I accidentally pinched my finger on this chair.” He laughed sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“Oh good, I was worried something happened. Well then dear, you carry on.” 

“I will!” He waved as she walked off. “….” 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You there Zack? 
> 
> **Zack:** Ya sry 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** How have you been? 

It felt weird to be asked that from Jumin for some reason. 

> **Zack:** fine thx 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I saw V was in the chat. What the heck? He couldn’t answer your questions?   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** He probably lost the papers and now he doesn’t want to admit it. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Zachary, what are you doing right now? 
> 
> **Zack:** Working
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Did V mess up in his explanations? Please don’t leave! _V_ may have messed up but not us! I promise we’re good people! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah I believe you 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I know you don’t believe V and I don’t blame you!
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Zachary. 
> 
> **Zack:** I think that something 

is wrong, is what he wanted to finish with. He let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head. 

> **Zack:** I think it’s all fine.   
>  **Zack:** I’m sorry that I was so harsh to your president.   
>  **Zack:** He clarified everything. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Really? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yup ^_^ Everything is taken care of now! All good here! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** why do you keep

The two waited for him to write back. 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Jumin? You still there? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes. My hand slipped. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Oh okay  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** So Zack, you’re really gonna stay? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yup 

_We’ll see but for now, yes._

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Yay! I was afraid V would mess all this up. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Zachary please answer my call
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Aw man, I wanted to ask you something Jumin 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Next time. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Alright? But um Zack  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Regarding V, I’m sorry he acted like that. I was upset before but when I read V’s messages I just put myself in your shoes. Of course you’d be frustrated. But thank you so much for believing in us. I’ll work hard to make sure you have a great time with us! 
> 
> **Zack:** Thx 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’m going to call you. 
> 
> Jumin Han has left the chatroom   
>  Zack has left the chatroom 

He really didn’t want to talk to him right now. But if he ignored him, well he figured Jumin would just keep calling until he finally answered. 

“I…” Zack sighed as he pressed the phone closer to his ear. “I…” he left out a shaky sigh.   
“I don’t know.”

“You left in the middle of the chat yesterday.” 

“Yeah.” 

“What happened? You wanted change but then suddenly-“ 

“Well! Because I realized _he_ is still m-mine!” He snapped. “So maybe if _Luka_ just **back’s off** then I-“ 

“This way of thinking is unhealthy.” 

Zack scoffed. “Oh yeah? W-well you-“ 

“You can say anything you want, but your voice tells me the truth. Deep down you agree with me. Zachary, I want you to talk with the therapist again.” 

“Oh yeah? Okie dokie.” He said flatly. 

“Zachary.” 

“What? Can’t you leave me alone? I’m not doing anything bad.” 

“This kind of behavior is not ideal for the RFA parties. You should really see the therapist again. If you did not like the Mind Eye’s association I have another that may be of help. I would prefer it if you were able to focus on the party with a clearer head.” 

Zack sucked in breath. He felt one tear threaten to escape. _No. Don’t._ “I… I…” He bit his lip. “You don’t…” All of his actions were being judged by Jumin. “…Shut up.” 

“What?” 

“Shut up. Stop evaluating me!” He kicked the bench. “You know what? I’m done talking with you! Never. Call. Me. Again. Just let me do what I need to.” He hung up. 

_This kind of behavior is not ideal for the RFA parties.  
This kind of behavior is annoying. Just leave it. _

~* 6 Years Ago *~ 

Zack laughed as he looked at his phone. “And so then, that damn receptionist was giving me such attitude. So I told her to kindly _learn to read._ ” He snickered. He felt a little bad for being a jerk. But if you’re going to do a job, do it well dammit. 

Lloyd sighed. “That was really rude of you Zack.” 

His blood went cold. Now he **really** felt guilty. “Y-yeah you’re right.” 

“Look, I don’t really want to hear it right now. You always do this.” 

“Ah yeah…” 

“There you go again! You keep shutting down whenever you get some criticism!” Lloyd stood up. “Grow some balls for hell’s sake.” 

“Ah, I’m sorry.” 

Lloyd groaned. “Stop! Stop acting like that! I try to just… URGH!” He looked over, the way his hazel eyes stared into Zack’s made him feel completely… Inadequate? Small? Maybe just guilty. “This kind of behavior is annoying…” Zack just nodded. “Tsk. Just leave it.” He grabbed his keys and left. 

~* Present Time *~ 

_Argh! What the hell? Why did that pop up just now?_  
**_Because, you’re finally coming to terms with it. You’re finally dropping the veil.  
_**_I don’t want it to.  
_****_Keep remembering. You’ll see the problem soon enough. You’ll see what drove the wedge._

“I need a drink.” He didn’t even bother to grab his bag. Without saying a word he left and headed for someplace that could make him forget. Maybe even someone. 

~*4:50 pm *~ 

Zack tapped his foot to the live band. Today was proving to be such a drag. He glanced around the bar and sighed. He had already drank three bottles of beer, right now he was playing a game of “should I go home alone or with someone” with a coin. Heads for sex, tails for more beer. So far the beer was winning. 

_What am I becoming?_ He didn’t like this new him. The thoughts that swam through his head were starting to terrify him. Drinking, snapping at people, looking for a hook-up. This wasn’t him. So why? 

_To forget.  
_ **_You won’t win._ **

Zack sighed and rolled the coin in his hand before spinning it. “Heads.” That’s six for heads and ten for tails. He didn’t even know how he was tallying this. Maybe now would be a good time to switch bars. “Ah shit.” He sighed. He forgot he left his bag at the Yi’s, which included his wallet of course. “Dammit all.” What the hell time was it? Four? How the hell did that happen? 

He hadn’t realized he had been nursing his drinks for so long. So far he had seen RFA notifications come and go, _I guess Jumin didn’t tell Seven to cut me off._ Seven… he wondered if that guy really went into his apartment. A little victory for him on being so preceptive, he felt. One point to Zack, ten to the RFA. 

RFA. He figured that Jumin meant well but the way he would sometimes say things or word them just pissed Zack off. It wasn’t like Jumin cared about him, instead he cared about the damn party. He didn’t expect for them to care about who he was, why should they? He’s been a hot mess ever since he joined. All his squabbling and bursts of anger reminded him of how he was when he was a teenager. Back then he could barely keep his emotions in check. It got so bad his mother forced him to spend his whole eighth grade summer at some camp called _Survival With Nature_. 

He smiled. That’s when he learned that he loved Lloyd. It just hit him so suddenly that he loved him that he actually started crying in the middle of _Fight for Your Life_. Next thing he knew he was waking up in the nurses office. Turns out while he was feeling all giddy he failed to realize the massive fist that was coming for his face. Even so, he woke up with a smile. Now, it felt like everything was just unraveling before his eyes. His ring burned in his pocket. 

“Hey.” A young man sat next to him. 

“Hi.” Zack said dismissively. Right now tails was still winning so he wasn’t going to put on the charm. Oh, but the tab. Who was going to pay for that? He looked over and smiled. “Whatchya having?” He said kindly. _Geez, I haven’t had to do this in so long._

“Oh. I’m having Angel’s Tears.” 

Zack laughed. “Better watch it.” 

“I can handle a lot.” 

“Oh really? Well, that sounds promising.” 

The young man laughed. “Is that right? So are you planning on sticking with that all night?” 

_Holy shit. Am I actually scoring right now? Do I have game?!_ Zack glanced at his coin. Screw it. “Well, I think I should change the drink. Boring beer doesn’t feel right now. Maybe I need something a little more, fun?” 

The young man smiled. 

_Gotcha._

~* 6:50 pm *~ 

“Wow, you really can down those Angel Tears!” Zack cheered. Yes this guy could really drink. Zack was happy to just enjoy a buzz, this time he was going to enjoy this encounter. He didn’t want to have sex, the thought made him feel awful, but a simple make-out session or maybe a bit of heavy petting wasn’t off the table. Still, even that made him shake in fear. He didn’t like strangers touching him. The whole time during the first and only one night stand he ever did kept flashing in his mind. Each time he felt like running to the bathroom to throw up. The feeling of that night was not pleasant. 

He swallowed hard and tried to keep his smile. 

“Like I said, I can handle it.” The young man smiled. He had already drank four of those damn things. 

“You’re not gonna die are ya?” Zack sipped his water. For some reason every time Zack ordered more water the young man’s eye would twitch. 

“Feel.” He grabbed Zack’s hand and pressed it to his heart. “Perfectly fine.” 

True. “Th-that’s amazing.” He felt himself turning red. This sort of aggressive approach was slightly appreciated. “Well,” he pulled his hand away, “I don’t know if I should applaud you or fear for you liver.” 

“Heh, I think I can make you applaud after a bit more. Here I’ll order more beer for-“ 

“That’s okay.” Zack smiled. “I really shouldn’t drink any more. I feel good right now, no need for me to turn into a horrible wreck.” 

The young man stared at him for a second before smiling. “Aww. You can’t handle _one_ more?” 

Zack chuckled. “One more and that’s it.” 

~* 7: 30 pm*~ 

“Wow, so you’re a lawyer? That’s awesome.” Zack smiled. “What do you practice?” 

“Oh, I’m a financial lawyer.” 

Zack sighed through his nose. The more he talked to this guy, the more he realized he was like Lloyd. There were just so many similarities in their personalities and the way they talked. This guy really felt like he could practically be a carbon copy of him _._ Zack couldn’t get enough. 

“But really, while I enjoy my job, I prefer my hobby more. I compose music.” He said sheepishly. 

Zack’s eyes widened. “R-really? What… do you play?” 

“The violin and the piano.” 

Zack choked up. “Wow… I would love to hear it.” 

“That would be awesome. I used to play for my church but-“   
“- _but you know how it is Zack.” Lloyd smiled. “They play the same songs over and over.”_

“Haha! I get you.” Zack’s eyes glazed over. _What… is happening? Am I… huh?_

_“You know, I composed you a song.” Lloyd brushed back his blonde hair. Those hazel eyes bared into him. “I… well it’s called Finale. I wrote it when…” He blushed. “…when we first kis-kissed.”_

“You…” Zack blushed as well. _Is this real? What is going on?_

_“Yes, I… well. I want you to hear it. But first..._ you need to have another drink.” 

Zack blinked. “W-what…?” He looked at the young man. “Where did…? Lloyd?” He looked around. Surely he couldn’t have left. “Where is he?” 

“Zachary, please, celebrate with me.” The young man grabbed his hand. 

“What? Let go.” He pulled away. “Stop trying to get me to drink.” He stood up. “Look I gotta run.” 

“Wow. That’s rude. I told you that I got into the Philharmonic of Australia and you just run?” 

Zack looked around for Lloyd. “Huh? What? Ah… fine okay to your new job.” He quickly grabbed his beer and took a swig. “Sorry but I need to run.” 

“Sure thing, Angel.” The young man chuckled. “I’ll see you soon.” 

Zack ran out. “Lloyd!?” That conversation felt so real. It couldn’t have been a hallucination right? He ran down to the park. “Argh…” He pinched the top of his brow. He was suddenly feeling very sluggish. “Ugh…” He collapsed into the wet grass. He couldn’t keep his eyes open. “What… happened?” _Did I get drugged?_ He slumped over and fought to overcome increasing darkness. 

~* 

Connecting. . . 

Connection Established . . . 

“Did you do it?” The False Angel rolled a pen between his fingers. 

“Yeah, he’s sleeping.” 

“Good work C-12.” Savior smiled brightly. “Just put him back in the apartment. Were you able to get the location of the files out of him?” 

“No. I’m sorry Savior. I have failed you.” 

“Don’t be. You have done excellent work so far. Soon enough we’ll have the answers we need from him. Come home, you must take your elixir after being in the sinning world for so long.” 

“Yes. Thank you Savior.” The phone call ended. 

The False Angel sighed. “I got the text ready.” 

“Good, send it. It’s time our little angel overcame this hell and come home to us.” 

Right, this place is paradise. “I can’t wait.” The False Angel smiled. “I wouldn’t mind having him with me.” 

“In due time.” She smiled. “Soon we will have our new playthings.” 

~* 10 years ago *~ 

_It’s cold. Maaaannn why’d we have to meet out here? Ugh couldn’t we just meet at the usual spot?_

Zack rubbed his hands together. He pulled his scarf closer to his face and grumbled under his breath. He had just returned form camp and was now waiting for his best friend (and secret crush) to hurry his ass up. For some reason Lloyd wanted to watch the winter stars. That would be fine if it wasn’t so damn cold. Why must they watch it now? He felt something heavy fall on top of him. “Ooof!” He fell into the snow. 

“Hahaha! Gotcha!” 

“Ugh! Lloyd!” 

“That’s what you get for standing around all vulnerable. You get pounced by the snow monster!” 

“The snow monster?” Zack chuckled. “Wasn’t that the thing we made up as kids?” 

“Oooo he’s out there. Stomp stomp stomp. He’s gonna freeze ya! And then you’ll die!!” 

“Gahaha! We sure were morbid back then.” 

“Back then? Heh we still are now.” He laughed and helped Zack up. “I brought a blanket.” 

“And a heater?” He watched as their breaths mingled. 

“Well, we can burn some firewood.” Lloyd rolled his lighter in his hand. “I stole this from gramps. And I got some tinder from over there.” He jutted his thumb over at the woods. “So we can enjoy.” 

“Okay? But why the heck are we here right _now_?” Zack exaggerated his shivering. “I’m dying here.” 

“Well… you just got back right? I thought… well you know, I missed ya!” He laughed awkwardly. 

Suddenly it wasn’t feeling so cold anymore. “Miss… missed you too.” He smiled shyly. “Uhm,” he coughed into his hand, “let’s get the fire started.” 

The two laid on the blanket and looked up at the stars. 

“So… how was that survival camp thing?” 

Zack groaned. “Ugghh… It was cool but also a pain in the ass.” He rolled a stick in his hand. “I learned a lot about nature though. So that was really fun. But, on the downside, this was my last summer as a middle schooler, now that I’m going into high school…” 

“High school. Heh we gotta get girlfriends.” 

Zack looked at the fire. “I guess.” 

“What about Hannah? You still talk with her?” 

“Hannah?! No way! She’s crazy.” 

Lloyd laughed. “She is kinda loud. Actually thinking of being all love-y with her doesn’t seem right.” 

“Yeah. She’s just a great friend.” _Plus, Hannah’s not you so…_ “I dunno.” 

“Yeah me neither…” A comfortable silence fell between them. Lloyd tapped Zack’s shoulder. “Shooting star. Make a wish.” 

_Please don’t hate me for liking you._ “Hopefully mine comes true.” 

“Mine too.” 

~* Present Time *~ 

Zack groaned. He slowly opened his eyes and coughed. His throat felt dry, his body felt heavy, and his mind was foggy. “Where…?” He looked around, it was the apartment. How did he get here? What even happened? He pinched the bridge of his nose and forced himself to recall the events of the night. What time was it even? 

He reached over for his phone. Where the heck was it? As he slowly sat up he replayed the night. 

He talked with the RFA, got upset and went to a bar, he was contemplating… oh. Right. He was contemplating if he should have another one-night-stand, he wasn’t going to, then that man show- 

Zack keeled over. “Oh god…” He felt fearful suddenly. That man. He kept making him drink,he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He finally found his phone and snatched it. Was there anything? Any evidence at all? How did he even get here? 

He scrolled through his phone and then… 

“Oh god… No! Nonononononononono!” He fell to his knees as he read the text. 

> XX-XX-201X 10:31pm   
>  To **555-4343:** Lloyd, please. Please talk to me. I need you. And I miss you. We can start over, start anew. We lived in our paradise, why must we burn it? Our Garden of Eden is gone, please let us go back. I love you. Dammit. I love you so much, so why? Why did you hurt me so? 

When!? How!? When did he do this!? Nearly twenty minutes ago? But how!? Why!? 

**_This is what you wanted. Remember? Remember how we felt today? You wanted to FORCE him back. So here’s your chance. Or… were you just trying to avoid the truth again?_ **

Zack gasped in fear. He couldn’t breath. Nothing was right. Nothing at all. 

_Bzzz bzz bzzz_

> _Call from 555-4343_

“No. No! Please don’t!” 

**_Answer it._**

He trembled. This is what he wanted. No, it was what he needed. The final cut to his tattered red string. 

“Ll-“ 

“What the hell!?” Lloyd yelled. “You know what!? You want answers so bad!? I’ll give you damn answers!” 

Zack shook violently. He couldn’t handle this. He couldn’t breath. His vision was fogging, his mind was throbbing. How did this happen? What is going on? He gritted his teeth as he felt the splitting headache. It as like a knife digging into his brain, slowly carving out the lies that he had told himself.

“You know why I cheated?! It was wrong! I’m a piece of shit and I was wrong! I am a huge coward! But I!!!” Lloyd was crying, he could feel every seething word burning into his ears. “I can’t live up to your impossible expectations! You. Are. **Suffocating**. You expect so damn much out of me and when I try to tell you to please let off you get all fuckin’ offended!! I couldn’t even talk to you!! I was in a damn prison in my _own_ house! Every second of every day, god it was awful! You just… you suck the life out of everything! I… I could’t take it anymore! And then! We are just too similar! I felt like… like I couldn’t do anything! You are so fuckin’ lazy and you don’t do shit! You just keep taking and taking little bits of me trying to make me into your stupid imagine of a true love! I would try and try and try with you but it wasn’t enough!!! You just… you’re so!! UGH! I felt like I was walking on eggshells around you! I hated going home!!” He stopped to catch his breath. “I am sorry!” He sobbed harder. “I’m sorry I made us live a horrible lie! I’m sorry! I just… the moment you confessed to me I think is when I totally stopped loving you. What I did… there’s no excuse but I… So just… just let it go! Move on with your life! I fuckin’ have!” 

_All of it… was a lie? Pointless? He never… he never loved…me?_ “Okay.” Did he even say that? Was he even breathing anymore?

“I… I do ca…care for you Zack but… I just. I can’t love you. I tried. Believe me. I am a horrible coward. I wasted your life and I… I tortured you. I know that I am a horrible piece of human garbage. No amount of sorry’s will ever fix that. Nothing I will do will ever fix that. Just… please just pawn that ring and… just… just move on. I’ll still help with the bills. I just… please please _please_ don’t contact me again like that.” 

“Okay. I promise.” His words were barely above a whisper. The headache was starting to feel like millions of needles crushing into his eyes. 

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to burst out…” Lloyd sighed shakily. “I… I love our friendship. I really do. And I…” 

“Please. Just stop talking.” Zack’s voice broke. “I… am so sorry.” The sob was starting to break out. “I… I need to go.” He hung up quickly. “Oh god…” He brought a hand to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t breathe. He took desperate sharp inhales of breath but the oxygen never reached his lungs. 

Zack quickly rushed himself over to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. 

**_So now you’ve faced the truth. The rift between you two was covered in fog, but now, you’ve finally opened your eyes to what was, in the beginning, inevitable. Your impossible expectations broke him. Good job._ **

He took in deep, slow, breaths as he sat down on the closed toilet lid. He leaned back and closed his eyes trying to find a calming place. Eventually he was able to return to his normal breathing and was finally able to focus. The call with Lloyd was crushing, more so than that. He couldn’t feel, he couldn’t even properly think. Nothing. He felt like nothing. He looked at his phone and read through the text sent to Lloyd once more. 

How did this happen? Did he get drunk again? That would explain the headache. So… did he take that guy back here? Or did he come home alone? He didn’t feel like he had sex. 

He scrolled through the messages. Okay, so he sent the message to Lloyd at 10:31 today. It seems he received a text from Seven at 10pm. 

> **707:** You’re home. If you took the files that’s fine but please don’t tell me your burned them or something. Please.   
>  **707:** Are you ignoring me?   
>  **707:** I don’t blame you

And that was it. So… he came home at 10 and then thirty minutes later he sent the text. What led to those two times? Zack groaned. Was it the drinking? Dammit. DAMMIT! He should’ve been stronger! If he could just control his temper none of this would have ever happened! 

If… he wasn’t such an awful partner none of this would have happened. 

> _Bing!  
>  V has entered the chatroom _
> 
> **V:** I have  
>  **V:** I have a date for the party. 
> 
> **707:** Ooo!! That sounds fun!!! 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** So we will still be commencing it? What about Zachary, he hasn’t come into the chat at all today. 
> 
> **707:** According the video feed he’s asleep. 
> 
> **707:** Rough day I guess
> 
> **V:** Yes. It seems he spent today running around.   
>  **V:** But I trust that he can do this. 
> 
> **707:** Oh? He’s in the chat?   
>  **707:** Whoah, when did he get out of bed??? 
> 
> **V:** Zachary, hello 

He couldn’t type. He just stared at the screen blankly. _My fault. All of it._

> **V:** Well, if you don’t want to talk to me I understand. But please, let us know what you did with those papers. 

A full ten minutes passed. 

> **V:** Is he there Luciel? 
> 
> **707:** I’m looking. This is weird, I have the footage of him walking in and then walking straight to the bed. Suddenly the feed just jumps and he’s gone.   
>  **707:** workingonit 
> 
> **V:** I see  
>  **V:** Well, hopefully he’ll see this later.   
>  **V:** Zack, if you still would like to, I would like to hold the party in seven days
> 
> **Jumin Han:** What? 
> 
> **707:** Whoah! Seven days!?   
>  **707:** that’s really short;;; 
> 
> **V:** I understand that.   
>  **V:** But I have looked at this from all angles. 

Seven…days…? 

Zack slowly felt a new wave of panic mix in with his rage and dread.

> **V** : Please understand. I think this is the best decision. Especially when your vacation will end in around two weeks. 

Right. Home. 

_He won’t be there. He never wanted to be there._

> **707:** You sure;;;? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** This is very sudden 
> 
> **V:** I am sure. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Then  
>  **Jumin Han:** I will trust your judgement. 
> 
> **V:** Thank you Jumin. 
> 
> **707:** Well, okay if you’re sure. We’ll work hard ^_^ 
> 
> **V:** And you Zack, do you still want to do this?  
>  **V:** We can discuss this as a group tomorrow. 

  
Maybe… maybe someone could listen to him. One person who would tell him the truth and nothing but the truth. One who wouldn’t care about his feelings and tell it like it is. He clicked Jumin’s name and pressed the call button. It took quite a few rings before Jumin finally answered. 

“Zachary… Has something happened?” 

He couldn’t hold it in anymore. Those three simple words finally broke him, shattered him to millions of pieces. “I…” He choked out. “He called and I…” He couldn’t finish. He just broke down crying. All of it. All of this. Everything poured out. He couldn’t stop crying, even as he incoherently told Jumin everything. He told him about how he went drinking, about the man, about how he blacked out. He told him of Lloyd’s phone call, of the happy times they shared. Whether Jumin could even understand him didn’t matter to Zack. He was finally, finally, _finally_ being able to confess the feelings of pain he had been keeping for so long. All the strength he tried to pile up came crashing down. Even as he choked and yelled in anger Jumin stayed quiet. He felt bad for bothering the person he had just yelled at mere hours ago. In the midst of his sobbing he told Jumin how sorry he was. He pleaded for forgiveness and spoke of his worries. He told him of the papers and how strange they all were. He told him how Seven came to the apartment when he wasn’t there trying to take them. He couldn’t help but cry harder when he said how terrified of everything he was. 

Finally, for nearly two hours, he calmed down. At some point during his breakdown he had crawled into his bed clutching his chest in pure agony. He sat up and fanned his face, the sobbing had really worn him out. “I- I’m sorry for everything. I think it’d be… for the best if I leave the RFA.” 

It took Jumin so long to answer that Zack had to check if he was even still there. The call said it was active, 2:30:04 of total conversation. 

“We…” Jumin spoke, hesitating. It was weird to hear **the** Jumin Han hesitating so much. “We will help you. There won’t be any incidents that…” He paused. “I will make sure all the facts are given to you.” 

Zack chuckled dryly. “I, uhm, thanks but… I just really don’t think I can do this. I think I should just go home and,” he clicked his tongue, “I don’t even know.” He sniffed and wiped his eyes. “Start over?” 

“That may be. This is my opinion but I feel that you have finally taken that first huge step. Furthermore you don’t even know how you got home, perhaps we should wait until Luciel is able to figure that out. You can’t recall if you brought someone back?” 

“No.” Right. This place was supposed to be secret. Considering everything that has happened on this hell of a day, that wasn’t his main concern right now. 

“But you are sure everything is there? Including the files?” 

“I took the files out. And the bag they’re in is someplace safe.” The Yi’s have both copies as of now. Oh! The USB! He looked for his wallet. That’s right… it’s at the Yi’s place too. Thank goodness. “Ngh.” He pressed his hand to the back of his neck. He felt hot and exhausted. “I uhm, I don’t know what I’m going to do now. I think I just need to sleep.” 

“Will you be alright?” 

True, being alone right now just felt god awful. “Actually, I know I’ve taken up a lot of your time with my shit, but can you stay on the line until I…” he sighed in exasperation, “until I fall asleep?” 

“That is fine. I’m going to text the chat that you are…unwell.” 

“Okay.” 

“And that you will have your decision on all of this soon.” 

“Kay.” He plugged in his phone and put on his earbuds. He could hear the tapping of Jumin typing. “Jumin?” 

“Yes?” 

“I’m so sorry. For how I treated you this morning- no for everything. I think I… I just…” 

“You do not need to explain.” Zack focused on the low timber. Each word only made him feel worse. He felt like he had been nothing but a bully to these people. Maybe there were some laughs here and there but the thoughts he held had been nothing but negative. 

“I… this morning, I scared myself. I kept telling myself that when I got home I’d take Lloyd back. Heh… if I had done that. God.” He’d just hurt Lloyd more. “Do you think I was… do you think that I deserved all of this?” 

“Deserve? What do you mean?” 

“I mean like, _all_ of this stuff. Getting cheated on, coming here and just… I don’t know. I feel awful. I can’t even describe it. I just feel like I shouldn’t exist. Like my life has been this joke.” He laughed bitterly. “I am such a dumba-“ 

“ **Zachary**. No one deserves to be mistreated. Life may be fickle, and sometimes it may seem cruel, but you never deserved this. You still have plenty of life ahead of you. It may seem like all of it is over, but once you see the possibilities of applying yourself to greater things, then your life will start to grow once more. Do not give up or drown your sorrows. Not anymore.” 

Zack nodded. “Okay…” He closed his eyes. “I’ll try.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meow meow~   
> Should I do a Q&A? Meh, I dunno. I'm kinda back and forth on it.   
> FINALLY on a sleeping schedule again.


	9. Day 5 Morning: Cat Cake

Zack slowly opened his eyes to a bright sunny morning. For once he had dreamless, deep, sleep. He sat up and felt a tug on his hair. Right, he fell asleep with his earbuds in, somewhere along the night they must have fallen out and tangled in his hair. He let out a frustrated sigh as he teased them out. 

The talk with Jumin was just what he needed. When the two had nothing more to say, Jumin just talked about his business proposals. At the time Zack hadn’t noticed that each proposal he was read was actually cat project proposals. He softly chuckled as he groggily shuffled to the bathroom. “Oh ew.” He looked awful. His eyes were red and puffy, his nose was red from all the wiping he did with the tissues, and his clothing was completely wrinkled. He stretched and pulled his shirt off. His body was at least physically healing. 

After a hot shower he quickly got changed and sat on the bed. He looked at the text sent to Lloyd and sighed. It was a new day, that’s what he wanted to focus on. He deleted the message and frowned. He battled with himself on wether he should save the number or not. He felt his heart drop as he deleted the number entirely off his phone. It was time to let go and move on. 

He sniffed before leaning back onto the bed. He took out his ring and read the vows engraved on it one last time. He brought the ring to his lips and closed his eyes. “Goodbye.” He muttered. He stood up and placed the ring on the dining table. “I…” He felt his lip trembled. Quickly he covered his mouth and looked away. With one last long breath he went back to his bed and grabbed his phone. 

The call with Jumin last nearly 4 hours. Poor guy, he needed to find a way to make it up to him. Animosity towards the RFA or not, Jumin was kind enough to humor him last night. Zack looked around the apartment. He really didn’t want to stay anymore. Exasperated, and frankly too exhausted to truly think this through, Zack finished getting ready and decided he’d head out to the Yi’s. Before he left he took one last look at the ring. 

It didn’t feel right to just leave it like that. He’d need to do something with it. Even if it was just a piece of silver, and even if it signified pain rather than love, he couldn’t part with it. In a way, that ring was a part of him. It was a piece of history. He ran his teeth over his bottom lip and let out a determined huff. 

~* 

“Mr. Rein? You’re here early.” Mrs. Yi smiled as she swept the front porch. She already looked exhausted. 

_Where’s that useless part-timer?_ “I… I’m so sorry. I left so abruptly yesterday.” 

“We were very worried dear, did something happen?” 

“Yeah.” He smiled weakly. “I… Uh well, it doesn’t matter. Here, let me do that for you.” 

“Oh dear.” She chuckled. “Don’t be silly. My, your face looks rather sullen.” 

He looked down. “Rough night. I… Where’s your husband?” 

“Oh…” Zack felt a pang of worry. “A friend of ours took him to the hospital.” 

“W-what?” 

“He’s fine dear. Don’t worry. He just needed to refill his prescription.” She was lying through her teeth. “Are you going to want another lesson today dear?” 

He didn’t feel totally up for it. “N-yes.” But he didn’t want to go home either. “If anything, let me help you.” 

“Oh you’re too kind dear. Go inside and have anything you’d like. I’ll be done here soon.” 

Zack nodded and saw a flash of orange. “Morning Butty.” He whispered. 

He dug through his bag and felt instant relief when he saw everything was in order. He took a peak in the linen closet and let out a breath. All good. He could probably take this as a sign that Jumin didn’t tell V anything. Though he didn’t tell Jumin _where_ exactly he hid them he did give a bit of a giveaway. 

“Oh!” He suddenly got an idea. It was stupid but, it was really all he could do. 

Zack tied the apron around his waist and slipped on a headband. Seeing as he didn’t style his hair today his copper locks were wild and sticking out. He took a glance at the chat. ZEN and Jaehee at around 4 am-ish and then… Yoosung and Seven talked. He read through that chat. 

To sum it up, the two discussed on Zack’s involvement with the RFA. Yoosung seemed rather keen on blaming V for Zack’s hesitation, Seven stayed rather neutral on the whole thing. He felt his heart clench, he really couldn’t figure out what he should do about them. Maybe he’d tackle the files one more time today. 

“Well Mr. Rein,” Mrs. Yi shuffled inside, “what shall we make today?” 

He felt embarrassed. “Can we make a dessert that goes good with wine? Maybe in,” he couldn’t help but smile, “the shape of a cat paw?” 

“How peculiar.” She chuckled. “Alright, that sounds fun. And what kind of person is this for?” She smiled knowingly. “Is this for your wife?” 

“Y-yes?” He panicked. “I mean, no! It’s for a frie-“ _are we even friends? I don’t want to assume._ “It’s for someone important.” 

“Important?” She grinned. 

“I- I didn’t mean it like that.” He coughed awkwardly. “Th-this person is a… a pompous ass.” 

“Oh my! Hahaha! Okay then, let’s make this pompous ass some red velvet cake.” She tied on her apron. Zack dug out the recipe for her as she prepped the kitchen. “You know,” she was smiling gently as he grabbed the ingredients for her, “you seem a little different today.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yes, call it intuition but I feel as if you look… a little brighter than normal.” 

He smiled. That made him feel good. “Maybe so.” She may be right. He certainly wasn’t shining but there certainly was a glimpse of light in him. “Can I ask you…” The two began to make the cake. “Have you ever been blinded? Like, have you ever…” He scoffed. “Ah nothing.” 

She shook her head. “I’m listening.” 

He felt a pang of guilt. “Have… you…” He looked up at the ceiling to find the right words. “Have you ever felt as if you saw yourself as someone really nice, but then you reflect on your actions and realize you may not be?” 

“Hmmm, what do you mean?” 

“Like… like say you go to the store and clerk there is bad at their job. So you kinda give them a hard time, just a little, and you justify it as helping them or like, being in the right because they were doing things wrong. So when you leave the store you feel like what you said or did was justified. Then you get home and reflect on it or maybe you tell someone about it, and then you realize you were actually a big jerk?” He laughed. “Argh I’m not making any sense. Just uh, just forget it.” 

Mrs. Yi hummed. “Well…” She tapped her spatula against the mixing bowl. “There are times where I would say things to a friend, maybe pointing out that what they did was stupid, and then feel instant regret. At the time I thought I was doing that friend a service by pointing out their mistake. Almost as if, by me saying something, it would force them to learn their lesson. But then, I’d realize they didn’t want my opinion, they just wanted a friend.” She smiled at him. “Do you mean like that?” 

Zack smiled back, but the pain was there. “Yeah… like that.”

*~

_“I can’t believe I lost that case.” Lloyd sat on the couch defeated. “I… dammit.”_

_Zack looked up from his phone. “The Mackenzie case? What happened?”_

_“I just… ugh I made a rookie mistake and I messed up the contract. It could’ve been bad if my mom hadn’t stepped in. Talk about failure.” He laughed weakly._

_Zack smirked. “Bet you’re not gonna make that mistake again huh? Just pay closer attention next time. Told ya you should’ve let me read through it.” He went back to his phone._

_“… I’m… going to go shower.”_

_“Kay!” He waved him off._

_*~_

Zack gripped the edges of the counter. “Tsk!” He gritted his teeth. 

“Mr. Rein?” 

“Haha… n-nothing.” He quickly composed himself. _He didn’t want my smart ass opinion. God… I…_ “Need to leave them…” He mumbled. 

Mrs. Yi frowned. “Mr. Rein, you wanted to make this cake for your important someone right?”

I wouldn’t call him that actually. “Yes.” 

“You can’t make a cake with such heavy feelings in your heart. You make it with love. And, you don’t bake for people so you can get recognition, you do it because you care.” 

He looked at the batter. “Yes. I’m sorry.” _Just… focus on the food._ That glimmer of light was starting to fade again. 

“Well, whatever is troubling you will cease. I need you to concentrate.” 

~* 

Zack leaned back and sighed. “Done.” He yawned. “This looks good.” 

“You did great Mr. Rein, that’s a very cute cat paw.” 

“It’s your writing that helped.” 

He looked down at the cake with the words “Thank you for listening” written in black icing. 

“Nonsense, you put a lot of care into shaping this cake.” She patted him on the back. “And also, you taught me a lot of things today.” 

“What? You mean those cat treats?” 

“Yes! It was very interesting. I didn’t know cat treats could look so cute!” She held her little baggy that she promised she would give Butty later. “Oh ho ho~ Do you think I should play a little prank of the mister?” She giggled mischievously. “I’m going to put these on a nice plate.” She scurried off. 

Zack grinned and laughed. What a cute couple. He looked back at his cake, really it was a mini cake, good enough for two servings at least. He felt embarrassed about all of this, but surely Jumin would take the cat treats at least. He had already planned how he was going to give it to him. But seeing as it was barely reaching eleven (and that bastard part-timer **still** wasn’t here), he wasn’t going to leave just yet. 

Now that everything was cleaned up, Zack figured it’d be a good time to tackle one of Rika’s messages. He took a seat in the far back and served himself some coffee. “Okay you sneaky sneak. Let’s see what’s hidden here.” 

> “zrc phi riu nccv qigwvm wzu haazwvm rcpc wv zrc sripwzy oaplx. zrwu wu iqidwvm! w siv'z nclwcjc zriz zrwvmu ipc oapgwvm aez ua uqaazrly. wzu ill ncsieuc ah zrc lcuuavu w'jc mwjcv piy. zrivgu za zrc vco hapqeli rc uccqu za nc saafcpizwvm qesr qapc ciuwly. fcphcsz. w qeuz pczepv za uevurwvc ivx pczpwcjc qy baepvil av zrwu vcohaevx hapqeli. orwlc w xa gccf zrc hwlcu av rivx w qeuz qigc uepc w rijc qy nisgef. zriz pcqwvxu qc, w uraelx mwjc piy i lwzzlc efmpixc. orwlc rwu oapg wu maax rc'll vcjcp nc mpciz. iz lciuz w siv cvuepc qy uesscuu ny rijwvm zrc ncuz qizcpwil hap zriz hiwlepc.” 

This was a doozy of a paper. He tapped his pen against the table. 

Z= T   
R=H  
C=E

That much he figured. Well… maybe. 

> “ **THE** phi **H** iu neev qigwvm w **T** u haa **T** wvm **HE** p **E** wv **THE** s **H** ipw **T** y oaplx. **TH** wu wu iqidwvm! w siv' **T** n **E** lw **E** j **E** **TH** i **T TH** wvmu ip **E** oapgwvm ae **T** ua uqaa **TH** ly. w **T** u ill n **E** sieu **E** ah **THE** l **E** uuavu w'j **E** mwjEv piy. **TH** ivgu **T** a **THE** v **E** o hapqeli **HE** u **EE** qu **T** a n **E** saaf **E** pi **T** wvm qes **H** qap **E** **E** iuwly. f **E** ph **E** s **T**. w qeu **T** p **ET** epv **T** a uevu **H** wv **E** ivx p **E** zpw **E** j **E** qy baepvil av **TH** wu v **E** ohaevx hapqeli. o **H** wl **E** w xa g **EE** f **THE** hwl **E** u av **H** ivx w qeu **T** qig **E** uep **E** w **H** ij **E** qy nisgef. **TH** i **T** p **E** qwvxu q **E** , w u **H** aelx mwj **E** piy i lw **TT** l **E** efmpix **E**. orwl **E** **H** wu oapg wu maax **HE** 'll v **E** j **E** p n **E** mp **E** i **T**. i **T** lciu **T** w siv **E** vuep **E** qy uess **E** uu ny **H** ijwvm **THE** n **E** u **T** qi **TE** pwil hap **TH** i **T** hiwlep **E**.”

Zack put his pen down. “Damn, what the hell does this mean?” He wasn’t even sure if he was doing this right. “Wait… whoah!” He gasped. 

THiT… maybe I=A!? Because… what other words has TH_T? Thot? Thet? Thut? No. It had to be THAT. 

> “ **THE** ph **A** **HA** u neev q **A** gwvm w **T** u haa **T** wvm **HE** p **E** wv **THE** s **HA** pw **T** y oaplx. **TH** wu wu **A** q **A** dwvm! w s **A** v' **T** n **E** lw **E** j **E** **THAT TH** wvmu **A** p **E** oapgwvm ae **T** ua uqaa **TH** ly. w **T** u **A** ll n **E** s **A** eu **E** ah **THE** l **E** uuavu w'j **E** mwjEv p **A** y. **THA** vgu **T** a **THE** v **E** o hapqel **A** **HE** u **EE** qu **T** a n **E** saaf **E** p **AT** wvm qes **H** qap **E** **EA** uwly. f **E** ph **E** sz. w qeu **T** p **ET** epv **T** a uevu **H** wv **E** **A** vx p **E** zpw **E** j **E** qy baepv **A** l av **TH** wu v **E** ohaevx hapqel **A**. o **H** wl **E** w xa g **EE** f **THE** hwl **E** u av **HA** vx w qeu **T** q **A** g **E** uep **E** w **HA** j **E** qy n **A** sgef. **THAT** p **E** qwvxu q **E** , w u **H** aelx mwj **E** p **A** y **A** lw **TT** l **E** efmpix **E**. orwl **E** **H** wu oapg wu maax **HE** 'll v **E** j **E** p n **E** mp **EAT**. **AT** lc **A** u **T** w s **A** v **E** vuep **E** qy uess **E** uu ny **HA** jwvm **THE** n **E** u **T** qi **TE** pw **A** l hap **THAT** h **A** wlep **E**.”

It may be working! Holy crap!

He chewed on the pen and narrowed his eyes. He was starting to get it. 

“Mr. Rein,” Mr. Yi walked in, “what are you doing here?” 

Zack felt a little irritated that his concentration was lost. “Oh, I was just doing a baking lesson.” 

“Shouldn’t you be fixing the sign?” 

“The…sign? Does it need to be fixed again?” 

“Again? You haven’t even done it yet.” Mr. Yi looked confused. 

Zack stared at him for a moment. “I… I’ve fixed it.” 

“Now don’t try to pull a fast one on me young man! I told you to fix that sign!” 

“But I-“ 

“Go on! Get out there! I’ll ask the missus give you some lemonade later.” 

Zack slowly stood. “S-sure.” He carefully folded the paper and shoved it into his pocket. “Sorry sir.” He walked out and looked up at the sign. It _was_ fixed. He walked over to their shed and grabbed the ladder. What was he supposed to do? He climbed up the ladder slowly and touched the sign. “Erm…” He didn’t know what he was doing. The sign was perfectly fine. The paint job he gave it still looked good.

“Mr. Rein!” Mr. Yi yelled up at him. 

Zack jumped and gripped the ladder afraid that he’d fall. “Y-yes!?” 

“What are you doing up there? Go on and pull the weeds!” 

“Wha- but I-“ 

Mrs. Yi quickly walked out. “Don’t you worry darling. You just get down.” She turned to Mr. Yi. “Now dear, come inside and leave the boy alone. Let’s just have some tea.” 

Mr. Yi grumbled before walking inside. 

Zack felt that prickle of fear again. 

Once everything was put away he walked back inside and grabbed his cake box. 

“Hello! Welcome to Pure Joy.” Mr. Yi walked out with Mrs. Yi following quickly behind him. “How may I help you? Oh! A foreigner.” 

“D-dear I’ve taken care of this customer already.” She gave Zack a look. 

Zack looked down. He understood. “Yeah. I… I got a pickup.” 

“Oh! Okay! I hope you enjoy!” 

“Right. Thanks.” He smiled solemnly. So… it was just like his grandparents. How much would Mr. Yi forget? And when did this even start happening? He grabbed his bag and triple checked to make sure he got everything before running out. “Damn.” He sighed as he made his way to the bus stop. “I hope they’ll be okay.” 

~* 

Zack walked into the C&R building. He was actually shaking, but it wasn’t like he was going to go see Jumin himself. He didn’t feel up to it right now. He had this feeling that if he were to see him he’d just cry again. Maybe even express the thoughts he was battling with now. Sure he felt better when he woke up, but he just didn’t want to talk right now. 

_Or maybe I’m just afraid to face someone._ He walked up to the front desk and smiled. “Um, hi, I…” _Oh shit_ , what if they find him suspicious? He pulled out his phone and opened the private messaging in the RFA app. “I have a g…” _Ergh I feel like I’m some creep._ “I have a gift for Mr. Han.” 

> **Zack:** Hi, I am dropping off something at your office. Mind if you tell them I’m not creepy? 

The man eyed him. “Okay? Let me just…” He waved over the security guard. “This man says he ‘has a gift for Mr. Han.’” 

She looked him up and down. “Oh yeah?” 

> **Jumin Han:** A gift? I shall contact them. Please bring it up yourself. 
> 
> **Zack:** I am just dropping it off. Sry I will have to gtg soon. 

“Sir, step away from the box.” Zack did so. The woman slowly opened the box and looked in. 

The phone began to ring. “C&R main office, how may I direct you?” The man peeked into the box. “Oh! M-Miss Kang!” 

Zack and the security guard looked over. 

The receptionist gasped. “R-really? Okay.” He hung up. “Uhm… right this way sir.” 

Zack took a step back. “Actually, can you just deliver it?” 

> **Jumin Han:** just come up. 

He sighed. “I gotta run. Please deliver it and oh! Give this too him too!” He pulled out a letter he wrote. “Thanks! Make sure he reads this before he eats that.” Zack didn’t want Jumin to take a bite out of the cat snacks by accident. He quickly ran out of the building and let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully that silly cake would be enough thanks. But, then again, Jumin was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. What if the food was gross or the fact that the cat treats were homemade would be lowly for Elizabeth to eat?

*~

_“Wow! Lloyd this is awesome!”_

_Lloyd smiled as he took a picture. “I’m so happy you like it.”_

_Zack nodded eagerly as he looked at his new cooking utensils. “Maaan you always give the best gifts!”_

_Lloyd looked a bit cheeky. “Well~”_

_Zack stuck his tongue out._

_“I’m kidding. I love your gift.”_

_Zack frowned. His gift was really lame compared to Lloyd’s. Actually, did a gift card really count as a gift?“I-I just didn’t want to get something you didn’t like.”_

_“Don’t you worry. I know exactly what I want to buy with this. I’m so excited.” He grinned._

_*~_

Zack rubbed the bottom of his lip. His gifts were so half-assed compared to others. This was the first time, in a long time, that he put so much effort into something. He rubbed his ring finger and paused. Oh right. He bit the inside of his lip and closed his eyes slowly. He needed to let go and move on. 

But… 

That didn’t mean he had to turn jaded. 

He checked his phone and saw the others in the chat. Such kind people. People that would be better off without him. 

_“Bet you’re not gonna make that mistake again huh? Just pay closer attention next time. Told ya you should’ve let me read through it.”_  
_“That’s what you bought? Well if you’re happy with it.”_  
 _“This is why you don’t post on social media! Look what happened! I hope you learned your lesson.”_

Zack gripped his stomach. He felt sick. “I’m… I’m horrible.” He widened his eyes. All the horrible things he said. “Ugh!” He shuffled over to a nearby bench and gripped his hair. 

_Every second of every day, god it was_ **_awful_ ** _! You just… you_ **_suck the life_ ** _out of everything! I… I_ **_could’t take it_ ** _anymore!_

**_You do don’t you? You’re such a selfish bastard. Do the RFA—no the whole world— a service and disappear._ **

Disappear? Maybe it was best to just… fade. Right? Because then, if he didn’t interact with anyone then he wouldn’t hurt anyone. 

_“Well I didn’t want to be around someone like that.” Lloyd sighed._

_“What? You mean yourself?” Zack snickered, he was just teasing._

_“…”_

“Ngh!” 

**_You really are awful._ **

_I felt like I was walking on eggshells around you!_ ** _I_** **_hated_** _going home!! I just… the moment you confessed to me I think is when I totally stopped_ ** _loving you_** _._

**_I_** **_hated_** _going home!! I just… stopped_ ** _loving you_** _.  
_**_I hated loving you!!_**

That’s what he really meant right? He hated loving me. Because I… am toxic. People’s happiness fades when I… 

Zack stood up quickly and ran towards home. 

****_**I hated loving you**_  
 ** _I hate you_**  
 ** _You’re god awful_**  
 ** _You suck the life out of everything_**

Zack burst into the apartment and collapsed. “Wh-what do I do?! What _should_ I do?” He glanced at his ring on the table. 

_To the person who brings my life light_. 

_Why did you get that engraved? Or did… they just come like that? Was it just… convenient to marry me? Or… was it convenient for me to marry you?_

_*~_

_“Do you know why you don’t have many friends!” Zack was sitting with his 4 year old cousin._

_Zack shook his head. “No. Why?”_

_“Because you’re such a jerk!” She giggled. Where did she learn that word?_

_He smiled bitterly, he really didn’t like kids and their drunkenly honest attitude. “I’m a jerk? Why?”_

_“Cuz you always look like this.” She pointed at her face and made an angry scowl. “Why are you always so angry Zoozy?”_

_“I’m not.” He sighed. “That’s just my face.”_

_“You don’t look like that with Llolly.”_

_Geez, these nicknames. “Because he brings my life light.” He grinned. “You’ll find someone like that someday, I promise.”_

_*~_

His phone pinged. 

> **Jumin Han:** Thank you for the gift. I shall give Elizabeth 3rd her treats as soon as I get home.  
>  **Jumin Han:** But why didn’t you come up? I told you too 
> 
> **Zack:** I told you, I was busy.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I would rather try this with someone. 
> 
> **Zack:** Jaehee’s there. 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : No. 
> 
> **Zack:** Lol, dang. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** What is this cake? 
> 
> **Zack:** Didn’t you read the letter? It’s red velvet. It supposedly goes with red wine. I think 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I see, I shall choose my best wine.  
>  **Jumin Han:** What are you doing? 
> 
> **Zack:** Nothing

Shit. 

> **Zack:** Well I mean, I’m at the apartment. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I thought you were busy
> 
> **Zack:** Busy being awesome. 

Lame. 

> **Jumin Han:** I see  
>  **Jumin Han:** Regarding the RFA have you made your decision yet.
> 
> **Zack:** No. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I still wish to help you no matter your decision 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks but I don’t understand why
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You have drive but you are hesitating on utilizing it.  
>  **Jumin Han:** I believe once you open up to your potential you’ll be able to thrive.
> 
> **Zack:** Oh
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Does that upset you? 
> 
> **Zack:** Well no  
>  **Zack:** No one has ever said that to me before lol  
>  Zack: So I don’t know how to react to that ;;;
> 
> **Jumin Han:** How unfortunate, for you do have the potential 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks  
>  **Zack:** Actually  
>  **Zack:** I really needed that  
>  **Zack:** ヾ(^ ^ゞ  
>  **Zack:** Sorry;;; I didn’t know what to put and I got nervous
> 
> **Jumin Han:** That’s fine. I didn’t mind.  
>  **Jumin Han:** You seem to be acting more honest about your feelings. 
> 
> **Zack:** To you I guess  
>  **Zack:** Or  
>  Zack: I think cuz I want to say something
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’m not busy, you can tell me. 
> 
> **Zack:** Well  
>  **Zack:** No sorry I’m not ready 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Then, when you’re ready, I am willing to listen. 
> 
> **Zack:** How can you be so nice when I keep attacking the RFA  
>  **Zack:** Shouldn’t you all hate me?  
>  **Zack:** I’m surprised I’m even _still_ allowed on this chat.
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Challenging a company is common.  
>  **Jumin Han:** And  
>  **Jumin Han:** After hearing what you told me yesterday about the files I must admit that I can’t blame you  
>  **Jumin Han:** It seems there were some things I didn’t know about.
> 
> **Zack:** That’s disconcerting. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, it is.  
>  **Jumin Han** : Which is why I understand your hesitation and anger.  
>  **Jumin Han:** I must admit I’m beside myself on the matter.
> 
> **Zack:** Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I would rather know what is going on than be in the dark
> 
> **Zack:** But does that mean you still trust V? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** While I don’t agree with his approach, I do still believe in him.  
>  **Jumin Han:** I’m sure he has his reasons. But I do not condone his actions. 
> 
> **Zack:** Have you ever noticed anything weird about the RFA? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** No. The files I received on the funding report came from Rika herself. I trusted her findings and never questioned them
> 
> **Zack:** Oh  
>  **Zack:** Does Sunflower Orphanage or Sunshine Hill mean anything to you? 
> 
> **Jumin Han** : It is a place that both Rika and V were fond of. I believe V proposed to Rika on Sunshine Hill. The hill faces a clearing with a view of the sunrise.  
>  **Jumin Han:** Sunshine Hill is actually a cliff, in a sense. It is just above Moonlight Creek. Adequately named as when it is nightfall the creek is covered in moonlight. 
> 
> **Zack:** I see

He shifted his weight and felt Rika’s paper crumple. He pulled it out and carefully unfolded it. 

 

> **Jumin Han:** But as for Sunflower Orphanage, I have no real memory of it other than we raised money for it.  
>  **Jumin Han:** Though, after your argument with Yoosung I did look into it.  
>  **Jumin Han:** There is an inconsistency with something about it. I have someone looking into it.
> 
> **Zack:** Really!?  
>  **Zack:** Do you mind keeping me informed? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes. I think you have a right to know. 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks.  
>  **Zack:** I feel a lot better ^_^  
>  **Zack:** Actually I think I’m going to take a little stroll
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Very well  
>  **Jumin Han:** I shall keep in touch.  
>  **Jumin Han:** And thank you for the gift. 
> 
> **Zack:** Hope it’s to your liking. Ciao 

Zack locked his phone and smiled. 

_Rika, Ray, Sunshine Hill, and Sunflower Orphanage. What mysteries do you hold?_

He began to decode the paper. 

_I don’t think I have much time. The party is in six days. What is V planning?_

Z= T , R=H, C=E, I=A 

_I should just leave now. What if V is trying to distract me?_

This is it. 

_He said it was dangerous. But why?_

It’s all becoming clear. 

> “The RFA has been making its footing here in the charity world. This is amazing! I can't believe that things are working out so smoothly. Its all because of the lessons I've given Ray. thanks to the new formula he seems to be cooperating much more easily. Perfect. I must return to Sunshine and retrieve my journal on this newfound formula. While I do keep the files on hand I must make sure I have my backup. That reminds me, I should give Ray a little upgrade. While his work is good he'll never be great. At least I can ensure my success by having the best material for that failure.” 

A purpose bared before his eyes. Something for his mind to focus on. Something to distract him from the mess that was his life. Sunflower Orphanage located on Sunshine Hill was his next destination. The place where he could run. The place where he could finally let that final demon go. 

The party was now in six days. He didn’t have much time. If he was going to do this he would need to leave by today. There was still some things he needed to prepare, money be damned. Hide the original copies, pack, and prepare to sleep outside. This was it.

He didn’t need to question Lloyd and his relationship.   
He didn’t need to ask himself if he was worthless.  
He didn’t need to battle with these thoughts.

All he needed to know was: what was Rika up to and who is this Ray person? 

~* 

“Sorry to bother you.” Zack smiled as he exited the vacation home. “I found what I was looking for.” He lied, he felt a little bad but he needed to hide those papers.Zack ran down the steps and wiped his brow. One thing down, now to just buy his bus ticket. He wouldn’t be able to hang out over there for long. Mainly because Seven and V might get suspicious and because there was said to be a storm coming. He didn’t want to get caught up in that. 

He shifted his duffle bag and rolled his ankles. 

He had never done anything like this before. He was excited and a little scared. But Sunshine and Sunflower held the answers he sought. Hopefully, for once, it would be good news. Zack held his ring up. Hopefully. 

SUNFLOWER ORPHANAGE: ~~FORECLOSED~~  
Angels are rescued here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little short but not the next one lolol. I didn't really want to meander around with Zack too much. When I first wrote it it looked like just filler fluff. Like I was trying to buy time. So, this is the product I like better.  
> Thank you all for you kind comments. Honestly I read them like five times lol! Really got me through the weekend keheheh 
> 
> the cryptic thing, sorry if I missed a few letters. Lol it was making my eyes strain so I may have missed a few letters that he figured out. 
> 
> "Hush hush, keep your pretty mouth shut. Hush hush lose your inhibitions." I've been listening to Hush by AViVA non-stop. 
> 
> Oh yeah, the whole not meeting Jumin thing. Keheheh oh you bet your sweety bippy I have their first meeting written up already. >:D Yessssss


	10. Day 5 Evening: Sunflower Orphanage

The only thing for Zack to do as he enjoyed the train ride was decipher one more paper which was just coordinates using X, Y, Z locations. As to _where_ they led to he didn’t know. He wasn’t actually good with coordinates, he could barely figure out the whole latitude longitude locations, but luckily, the internet existed.

Although, the coordinates led to some desolate mountain range. It was nowhere near where he was going to be right now. But it was something to keep in mind. If anything, he’d try saying those coordinates to V and see what happens. Mostly, from what he was planning, he was going to gather arsenal to use against V. If he could confront him, whether at the party, in private, or on the chat, and have enough weaponry to use against him, then maybe V would finally confess to his wrongdoings. 

_ Am I doing this to avoid my own problems?  _

He couldn’t really tell. He felt like it should just be an easy answer, either yes or no. But the answer just wouldn’t come to him, and that frustrated him. If he were to describe his state of mind right now it would be: Frustration. 

He was frustrated of his situation, of the RFA, of the Yi’s, of that part timer, and mostly, of himself. He wanted normal. He **craved** normal. But nothing was going to be normal and he wondered if it ever would be again. It felt like he was being pulled in every direction. His ladder that helped him overcome challenges was broken. Every time he even got close to building that first step, it would just break under the weight of his problems, worries, and pain. 

A part of him wanted to just go home, to be near people who loved him. Sure Lloyd was there but he didn’t give a shit. He had his parents and his friends waiting for him. Maybe it was the sound of the train tracks, maybe it was because he had nowhere to run right now, or maybe he was just getting tired of all of this, but he was starting to feel lonely. 

For the past few weeks he had been alone. Granted he would see the Yi’s and occasionally talk to some bar goers, but none of the people he interacted with cared about him and he didn’t care about them either. He was just… another cog in the mechanism of life. Another face, another body, another inconsequential human being. 

He had been with Lloyd for so long that the feeling of the empty bed, the empty house, and seeing the seat next to him empty, was starting to get to him. He didn’t want to be so needy but the pain was spreading. It had been plaguing him for months, that numb feeling that spread from his heart to his arms and legs, but now it was spreading further. Not through his body. Instead of hurting him at night, it was hurting him every few hours. Right now it was hurting and he did everything in his power to not hold himself right now. He felt like a fool. 

A lonely, frustrated, fool. 

Before he could collapse further into himself he pulled out his phone and opened the RFA chat. He knew that he had no real right to talk to them, considering he was like their main antagonist, but he couldn’t handle this. 

> **ZEN:** Mystery Man! Hi!!! 
> 
> **Zack:** Hey, what’s up? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Zack Attack! 
> 
> **Zack:** What? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Seven said only he can call you Zoozy or ZooZoo so we were making up nicknames. 
> 
> **ZEN:** My fans call me Handsome ZEN. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Everyone here keeps calling me YS
> 
> **ZEN:** Jaehee is Baehee 
> 
> **Zack:** Lol wut? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Seven came up with that one. He said his sources agree, whatever that means. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Unfortunately no one agreed to Trust Fund Jerk, so Cat Daddy has been chosen.  
>  **ZEN:** It’s so stupid I know
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** And Seven is Captain Space
> 
> **Zack:** Nice I like it  
>  **Zack:** How is everyone? I haven’t been on in a while
> 
> **ZEN:** I know  
>  **ZEN:** We were really worried. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I was scared V just messed everything up. I’m happy but I’m really nervous about the party
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah, that date man…   
>  **ZEN:** But don’t you worry Zack, we’re here for you! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Yup!   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** : So what has Zack Attack been up to? 
> 
> **Zack:** lol. Well nothing actually. I just needed a little break
> 
> **ZEN:** I hear you.   
>  **ZEN:** Sometimes you gotta pull away from social media.   
>  **ZEN:** Although the urge to post selfies becomes too strong  
>  **ZEN:** And the idea of hundreds of thousands of people not getting their daily posts is just so heartbreaking…  
>  **ZEN:** I mean how can anyone live without one of my selfies?   
>  **ZEN:** o( ；△； )o
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** …. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Just to make myself feel better 

ZEN posted a selfie. Zack could only describe it as annoyingly perfect. 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Well I just feel worse now
> 
> **Zack:** Same 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh don’t you two worry  
>  **ZEN:** You two can be just as awesome as   
>  **ZEN:** Well, nearly as awesome as me
> 
> **Zack:** I kinda want to poke you now  
>  **Zack:** So you’ll stop
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Poke isn’t the word I would use 
> 
> 707 has joined the chatroom 
> 
> **707:** Zoozy! Hi!!! 

Zack felt a little worried. Why was he being so nice? Did he figure something out? 

> **Zack:** Captain Picard, hi
> 
> **707:** Ooooooohhhh myyyyy goooooddd yesssssss
> 
> **ZEN:** What? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I think Seven just lost it
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah “lost it” isn’t the word I would use. 
> 
> **707:** That made my day   
>  **707:** What is my Number One doing? 
> 
> **Zack:** Just taking a little breather. 
> 
> **707:** Cool cool! I wish I could do the same! Lololol! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You seem to be feeling better! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah, you were a little creepy on the chat the other day
> 
> **707:** Wuz I???????   
>  **707:** Lol I wuz juuuust tired

Creepy? He’d have to check that later. Or maybe… well the chats that Zack did read with Seven in it did seem a little different. Seven wasn’t as spunky or random. He seemed rather cross in a way. 

> **Zack:** Hey Seven, 
> 
> **707:** Yeeeesssss??? 

Zack opened his binary app that he had been using for Rika’s files. This was going to be a pain in the ass to read but he felt like he should tell him. 

> **Zack:** [Message Deleted By Admin] 

Well that was a first. Zack had posted a series of binary numbers letting Seven know that the files were safe and that he didn’t blame Seven for anything, but it seemed Seven didn’t want any of them to see that and deleted it the first few seconds after it arrived. Oh yeah, totally not suspicious at all. 

> **ZEN:** Whoah, what’s with this? 
> 
> **707:** K 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Oh man, was it too explicit this time? 
> 
> **ZEN:** What? Explicit? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Well I mean they always flirt 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well, now I have to know 
> 
> **707:** Lol secret 
> 
> **Zack:** I told him that I wanted him to ~~[ghosting censor]~~ all night and then ride ~~[ghosting censor]~~ using rope until he ~~[ghosting censor]~~ and then I’d want that toy to ~~[ ;P]~~ until I begged for release. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh  
>  **ZEN:** my  
>  **ZEN:** god
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** : fjkdla
> 
> **707** : adsfhe
> 
> **ZEN:** What the hell!? Mystery man I didn’t know you were into   
>  **ZEN:** I mean my god 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Hhow dou iuy even user rope likee thatt?  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Andf candle wax?   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I can’t eeevene type!! 
> 
> **ZEN:** I need a moment. 
> 
> **707:** I can’t even 
> 
> Zack covered his mouth as he tried not to burst out laughing. Being crude was a simple joy for him.
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I can’t believe it.   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You can really do that? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh boy…
> 
> **707:** His innocence…. 
> 
> **Zack:** Yup 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Whaaaat? But it sounds painful!? 
> 
> **Zack:** That’s why you and that person need to 100% trust each other  
>  **Zack:** But what the hell am I saying? I’ve never done that before
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Interesting 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh god
> 
> **707:** Can I reload my save please and choose another option? 
> 
> **ZEN:** It’s too early for this… 
> 
> **Zack:** It’s 3pm
> 
> **ZEN:** Too early! 
> 
> **707:** I was gonna say I was hungry but I dunno anymore 
> 
> **ZEN:** I thought I had a beast in me but damn 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m more like the prey 
> 
> **ZEN:** …
> 
> **707:** This chat is really taking a turn   
>  **707:** talk about a 180
> 
> **Zack:** I’m dying here   
>  **Zack:** You guys are so easy I can’t help it
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You mean that was all a joke!?!?! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yup
> 
> **ZEN:** God, I didn’t know anyone could be worse then Seven with the pranks 
> 
> **Zack:** Seven’s pranks are pure fun  
>  **Zack:** I just like teasing a bit
> 
> **ZEN:** You like teasing or being a tease? 
> 
> **Zack:** Well …
> 
> **ZEN:** Exactly
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** So was all the stuff you said true??? 
> 
> **Zack:** Someones eager 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** No!   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I’m just curious is all… 
> 
> **ZEN:** I can’t even remember what we were originally talking about anymore 
> 
> **707:** Lolol this chat should be a midnight chat
> 
> **ZEN:** Geez, if this is ‘teasing’ Zack then holy shit I don’t want to see Night Freak Zack. 
> 
> **707:** Lolololol there may be a new beast in the mix 
> 
> **ZEN:** He said he was prey 
> 
> **707:** Lolol much to _your_ pleasure 
> 
> **ZEN:** What?! No way! I need my beautiful princess
> 
> **707:** Princess Prey tho right? lololol! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well, I wouldn’t go that far   
>  **ZEN:** But if that princess gets to see my beast side…
> 
> **707:** Oh dear I smell narcissism afoot   
>  **707** : SUBJECT CHANGE! 
> 
> **Zack:** I saw that Dr. Peepers is going to release Honey Buddah Soda 
> 
> **707:** My prayers have been answered
> 
> **Zack:** They said there was a contest and they suddenly got an influx of votes for HB Soda
> 
> **707:** Doot~ Doot~ Doot~ 
> 
> **Zack:** That’s what I thought 
> 
> **707:** Lolol the world has been blessed. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** : I dunno.   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Every time they make a weird soda it doesn’t taste too good 
> 
> **707:** Oh believe me, it’s going to be heaven on earth
> 
> **Zack:** Might as well just crush HBC into your drink, it’d probably be the same
> 
> **707:** … 
> 
> **Zack:** ….   
>  **Zack:** I should’ve known…
> 
> **707:** I will neither confirm nor deny!   
>  **707:** \\( ★ ω ★ )/
> 
> **Zack:** I’m not surprised… 
> 
> **ZEN:** I don’t think that would taste good **at all**
> 
> **707:** You’d be surprised   
>  **707:** By how disgusting it is
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah I bet lol 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Well if you leave it in to soak for a few minutes it’s not that bad   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** : …   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I’m disappointed in myself… 
> 
> **Zack:** _sigh_
> 
> **ZEN:** You two are just so lame   
>  **ZEN:** Who am I kidding all of us in this chat are losers 
> 
> **707:** Lol I’d say 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Hey!!!   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** yeah… you’re right… 
> 
> **Zack:** lololol 
> 
> **707:** I know how to cheer us up! Gimme one second

… 

> **Captain Space:** Okay! 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** What the? Did you change all our names!? 
> 
> **SecretFreak** **☆** **:** What!? What’s with mine!? 
> 
> **Super Freak:** I’m not sure how I feel about this
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** “Beast Wannabe” really?   
>  **Beast Wannabe:** More like “Chained Beast” 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Really? _that’s_ your issue here? 
> 
> **SecretFreak** **☆** **:** Seven… what are you sending me?
> 
> **Captain Space:** If you’re going to venture out and find your kink then you gotta be safe!! 
> 
> **SecretFreak** **☆** **:** jfdskkhg fdjj jrwb!!!! 
> 
> **Super Freak:** I don’t even want to know
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Yeah pass   
>  **Beast Wannabe:** I SAID PASS SEVEN!!!! 
> 
> **Captain Space:** Who’s Seven??? 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** waiiiiit   
>  **Beast Wannabe:** What was that mirror sale I just saw? Send that again 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Who’s the super freak now? 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Shut up  
>  **Beast Wannabe:** You like blindfolds and ropes. I like mirrors. 
> 
> **Super Freak:** You misspelled “my own face” 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Well, it’s not fair the princess gets to see the most primal me
> 
> **Super Freak:** I am **not** sitting through that again. Shut up. 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Well I’m just saying
> 
> **Super Freak:** Shut.   
>  **Super Freak:** Up.   
>  **Super Freak:** Captain I don’t want rope!!! Stop ordering it!! 
> 
> **Captain Space:** Lololololol!!! 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Although, if it’s free, I will take those groceries 
> 
> **Captain Space:** You got it! 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Yo! YS you still alive? 

… 

> **Beast Wannabe:** Did he pass out from blood loss? 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Depends on where the blood went
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** omg…. This chat is too much 
> 
> **Super Freak:** You guys are setting yourselves up.   
>  **Super Freak:** I just deliver
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Seven! Change the names back!!! 
> 
> **Captain Space:** Seven who??? 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** UGGHGHGHHG   
>  **Beast Wannabe:** Since when did you even have the power to do this?! 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Are you really asking that to the God of Space? 
> 
> **Captain Space:** OOOOO! I like that!!!   
>  **God of Space:** Yeah Beasty, don’t you know who you’re dealing with? 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe** : Did you just…   
>  **Beast Wannabe:** Whatever. You’re right  
>  **Beast Wannabe:** Yoosung!!! You alive!?!?! 
> 
> **SecretFreak** **☆** **:** Yes I’m here
> 
> **Super Freak:** You okay? 
> 
> **SecretFreak** **☆** **:** Yup. Just reading up on some things
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** What have we done to him… 
> 
> **God of Space:** I regret everything 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Reverse! Reverse! Bring me back the cinnabun! 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** You wrought this
> 
> **Super Freak:** My goodness. No one should have these powers
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** (-_-;)···
> 
> **God of Space:** I can fix this… 
> 
> **Do-M** **☆** **:** What? 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** That didn’t fix anything!!! 
> 
> **Do-M** **☆** **:** What does it mean? 
> 
> **Super Freak:** NOBODY TELL HIM 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Lips sealed 
> 
> **God of Space:** lolololol 
> 
> **KeepInnocence** **☆** **:** There’s so much I don’t know 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Plz stay that way… 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** We almost corrupted him 
> 
> **God of Space:** Yeah, rather not deal with that lolol 
> 
> **Super Freak:** you’re the one who sent him the links! 
> 
> **God of Space:** Well he needs to be safe! The more you know~ 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Argh… I guess so
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Would rather him be safe but still 
> 
> **KeepInnocence** **☆** **:** Still though ^///^ 
> 
> **Super Freak:** I think I’ve had enough fun lolol   
>  **Super Freak:** All of this was just exhausting so I’m gonna nap
> 
> **God of Space:** You got it! 
> 
> **Beast Wannabe:** Stay strong bro! 
> 
> **KeepInnocence** **☆** **:** Bye!!! 
> 
> **Super Freak:** Bye :) 
> 
> Super Freak has left to be a total Super Freak 

Zack chuckled and closed his phone. He really needed that. Sure it was a stupid mess but man was that funny to him. He felt a little bad about Yoosung though, but… well Seven was right. He might as well be safe. Stuff like that isn’t for the feint of heart. Not like he had ever done anything in the S&M culture. 

He blushed. 

Thinking about that was a little embarrassing. He always did things vanilla but… underlying…

“Tsk.” 

No need for that stupidity. He needed to focus on the task at hand. If he took a nap now that would mean more time for exploring Sunflower. He could only stay tonight, tomorrow, and leave the morning after. Two days of sleeping outside, he hoped and prayed there wouldn’t be some drug addicts or homeless wanting to eat his body hanging around that place. He sighed and wrapped himself in his favorite hoodie (it should be known this hoodie was Lloyds) and fell into a comfortable sleep. 

~* 

Sunflower Orphanage. Well it certainly was abandoned. It was a pain in the ass to get here. The orphanage and the church attached to it was at the top of a mighty hill. Zack nearly keeled over when he reached the last step. According to a faded old sign, you were apparently climbing 1300 steps. No wonder it closed down. You had to have REALLY wanted a kid if you were willing to get your fat ass up these damn things. More than once did Zack have to stop and take a break. 

Once he reached the top he collapsed into the dirt and gasped for breath. Thank goodness, he thought to himself, that he had the foresight to bring his inhaler. He hadn’t had to use it in so long, but right now he felt like he was about to die, figuratively. Once he was set he’d first find where he was going to sleep and then explore from there. He decided he’d scope out each building first and see which was the least dangerous to camp out in. He hugged his hoodie closer to his body and breathed in. He could do this. 

The church was empty save for a few broken pews. The wood flooring was scratched and covered in a thick layer of dust. It seemed like it hadn’t been disturbed in quite some time. That was a good sign, probably. Mainly it meant no animal or human had been here. But… he wondered if that meant V hadn’t been here either. Maybe the church held no real significance to them. What surprised him, though, was the thick smell of old incense. It could be that the incense had long since seeped into the wooden floorboards and walls but… something about it felt fresh. Now _that_ wasn’t a good sign. 

Zack carefully walked around towards the alter and looked at the stain glass window of Jesus on the cross. It was too bad stain glass wasn’t used as much anymore. No matter the religion or views on it, you couldn’t deny the beauty of the colors of simple stain glass. He carefully looked around the floor to find any bugs, especially centipedes and the like, and was happy to find that the majority of the creepy crawlers was from roaches. He hated roaches but it wasn’t as deadly as he was fearing. Now, he was going to go to Sunflower. He’d do a more thorough search later. 

The gate’s of Sunflower was ominous. The building was surrounded by a rusting black iron fence. The building was still standing but it seemed that some foliage was starting to take over. The orphanage was two stories tall, yet it seemed to loom over him like monster. The front yard held statues of crumbling angels, the faces distorted by the age of time. How long had this been here? 

He carefully opened the fence and winced at the loud screeching of iron on iron. Slowly, he walked towards one of the angels. The one he was looking at had its eyes downcast and its hands clasped together in prayer. There was a name written on one of the hands. Sxxrxn? The characters were so scratched out he could even tell. See… Sae… ah forget it. In the angels hand was a strange little pendent but no matter how much he pried and pulled it would break free. 

Zack took a step back and looked at the statue. Interesting. It seemed the hands were made later. The body of the angel was already covered in moss but the hands still had a fresh grey. It seemed, this was indeed a clue. Zack pulled out his phone and took a quick picture. He was both excited and a little terrified. This place really was something, it was like a mystery game. 

But, as he reached the front door, he found himself trembling. The door was warped and the sunflower image on it was fading. But, behind that somewhat creepy image was a building that once harbored the dreams of children. Now, it held the secrets of something that seemed bigger than a simple cash grab from a charity. The angel was proof of that. Whatever Rika was planning, it seemed elaborate. And could it be, since she was dead, V was carrying on her wish? 

What if what was behind here was… well, only one way to find out. 

The door took some pushing but he was finally able to open it. A thick, musty, smell enveloped his senses. “Ugh!” He coughed into his arm and covered his mouth. Was it safe to walk in here? He took the first cautious step. The floorboards creaked under each step. Carefully he walked forward towards the administrators office. 

CRACK 

“WOAH!” He stepped through the floor board. “Owww…” He pulled his leg up and looked at his scraped knee. “Dammit.” He searched through his bag for one of his water bottles and cleaned off all the dirt. “Ungh… that hurts…” Where’s someone to kiss it and make it better? Oh right. Forever alone. He got up and dusted off his pants. Well, now he’d have to move even _more_ slowly. 

The orphanage was rather big. Upon entry you were greeted with a large staircase that seemed to lead up to a room that read… something. It was too warped to see from where he stood. To his immediate left was waiting area with a molding rug, he’d have to avoid that. To his right was a door that led to the nursery. All the windows in the front entryway had been boarded up barely allowing any form of light. He shined his flashlight and looked at the first room, which was too the left of the grand staircase. That was the administrative office. The front desk was protected with a pane of glass. To the right of the stairs was an entryway that led to what seemed to be staff rooms and the cafeteria. 

After three more close calls Zack finally reached the front office. The door wouldn’t budge so he did some “renovating” and broke the window pane. Once the glass was swept away he carefully climbed over the counter. “Right. Let’s see here.” It didn’t take long for him to find something, a metal box with a safe lock passcode. Surely there _was_ a code but Zack didn’t feel like deciphering it. Instead he put the safe aside and left his plan for later. 

His next stop was the nursery. The room was terrifying. Abandoned cribs, carousels swaying in the gentle breeze, and rotting teddy bears littering the floors. 

_Ding, ding, ding, bing_

Zack jumped and cursed under his breath. One of the carousels started playing a lullaby. As to _how_ it started, he didn’t know. Slowly, he made his way through the cribs. “GAH! Shit!” A baby doll with half it’s face rotting away had been left inside one of the beds. Someone had a sick sense of humor. He poked it with a stick and gasped as a black beetle crawled out of its face. He shuddered and walked a little faster towards the back of the room where the cubbies were. 

“…a…ma…” 

Zack tensed and shined his light around the room. _What the heck was **that?!**_ The sound had come from one of the cribs in the far back. 

“…krrrr…” 

Zack gritted his teeth. 

“…………me….save…me…ma…ma” 

He took a step back, if he needed to run then he could escape through a window, probably. His voice was stuck in his throat and his hands were slightly shaking. Surely this place wasn’t _haunted_. Unfortunately for him, Zack believed in ghosts. He adored horror games from Fatal Frame to Outlast to Layers of Fear. Now, all those games were flashing through his mind freezing him in place. He had a weapon but you can’t fight ghosts with knives or a flashlight. 

“…krrr………………” 

Ten minutes of silence. Whatever it was had stopped. Cautiously he turned back and looked through the cubbies. He couldn’t find anything. Maybe there was something in the crib but 

“LET’S PLAY!” 

“Fuck!” Zack spun around. Nothing, there was nothing there! He looked at the floor. No demon babies here. He had enough. He quickly walked through the cribs and checked each one until he finally found the culprit. A stupid doll with its batteries going haywire. But just _how_ did it turn on!? Surely it couldn’t have been making all this noise this whole time, because he would’ve heard it. 

He took the doll and slammed it to floor. Without even hesitating he brought his foot down to its face and crushed the voice box. 

“Let’s play! Let’s…pl…aaaaaaaaayyyyy……yy-y-y-you’re n-n-n-neeeee…xxxt.” 

Zack glared and kicked the doll across the room until it slammed against the wall. He flipped off the doll and resumed his searching. Haunted or not he had enough of that. 

Well, the nursery was a major bust. The cafeteria was no better as it was too big for him to fully get a good look. The employee lounge was picked entirely clean, nothing looked out of place, but just to be sure he’d look at it tomorrow. He noticed a door that led to the playground but he’d look at that later. All utility closets were locked and no amount of prying was going to make them budge. He’d figure out something later. 

Now, it was time to tackle the upstairs. Apparently the children rooms, craft room, and meeting room was up here. He decided to start from the left, which would be the rooms above the administrators office and work his way down. 

His first stop was a child’s room plated “Rosemary- Orange.” That was odd. He tested the door knob. Unlocked. He stepped in and froze. 

The walls were covered in frantic writing. 

_I hear them I hear them I hear them_ written over and over again. 

Zack let out a groan. _What the hell!? What was with this stupid place!? Why was it so creepy!?_

He decided to just leave the room, he didn’t want any of that right now. 

The next room, across from Rosemary, was “Blue Bonnet- Red”. Inside this room, more scribbles. _They speak They speak They speak._

“Rose - Yellow” _they try to hurt me they try to hurt me they try to hurt me_

“Daffodil- Blue” _Corrupted corrupted corrupted_

“Thistle- Purple” _Save me Save me Save me_

“Lavender- Black” _Savior Savior Savior_

This room gave him pause. Savior, that damn word again. It had to mean something. He decided he’d look through this room thoroughly. He checked the beds, the drawers, and the closet. Nothing. Just the scribbles. 

“Hibiscus-White” _Paradise Paradise Paradise_

Again, he checked this room but to no avail. There were twelve room in total, each with two bunkbeds. That would be enough beds for at least 48 children. However, only the doors with flowers and a color opened. The rest were either locked, blocked, or locked with hair tied around it. He wasn’t going to mess with the hair. 

Now that the rooms were dealt with he decided to go on and move towards the Meeting Room. Inside was old molding couches, old toys (great), and a singular paper on a coffee table. He went straight for that. 

> _Inside this place is the memories I hold. Granted, this wasn’t my home but the pain is apparent. Children with no loving parents, the pain they must have felt. I can hear the babies crying for attention when I’m in the nursery. I can feel the dread when I walk through the play ground. I look around the cafeteria and the children try to tell me how lonely they are. I am their savior. They are my children. If I could, I would take them all to the paradise they deserve. I can save them, I can be the mother they deserve. No longer will they be tainted by the wishes of one day finding a “loving” family._

The letter ended there. 

“Come on Rika, throw me a bone.” _What is with this woman? What is so important that she keeps hiding everything!?_ He slammed his fist on the coffee table. 

_Crack_  
Crack  
CRACK 

“Argh!” 

The floor collapsed under him. He crashed though and landed on a pile of wood and a plastic cafeteria table. The letter floated down and rested on top of his dust covered face. 

“Mistake.” He muttered. “What a mistake. All of this.” He felt so stupid. What on earth was he doing here? He laid there, his back hurting and his head spinning. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He was so angry with himself. So frustrated. 

With a grunt he sat up and shoved the letter into his pocket. He just… wanted to go home. Forget the RFA, forget the damn party, forget stupid V. He was done. 

He limped out of the building and sat on the steps that led back to real life. He angrily scrolled through flight plans and cursed at all the prices. He’d have to wait. Annoyed with everything, he held his knees to his chest and gripped his pant legs tightly. For a good few minutes he just sat there curled up. 

~* 4:30 pm *~ 

He uncurled himself and carefully got up. He went back into the orphanage, grabbed that safe, and walked towards the cliff. He looked over what was supposed to be Moonlight Creek and stared at the horizon. It was beautiful. Perfect. 

Being a part of nature was so beautiful. 

He let everything that happened to him since the day he met Lloyd to the day he stood here replay in his head. He took a deep breath and yelled out with all his might before chucking the safe over the cliff. “YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME WORLD!?” He glared at the sky. “THEN COME AND GET ME! I’M STILL STANDING!!! I’M STILL HERE!!! YOU CAN BEAT ME AS MUCH AS YOU WANT! BUT I’LL STAND BACK UP!!!” He collapsed to his knees. “AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!” He pounded his fist into the ground and tore out the grass. “AAAAAHHHH!!!! WHY! WHY!?” He cried out. “DAMMIT!” He sniffed and looked up at the setting sun. “…” He stared out at the creek and watched the water glisten and turn a fiery red. “I came here to heal. I came here to move on.” He stood up. “I’m going to do that no matter what. I’m not going to give up on life or love or anything. I’m going to do this, I’m going to heal and then I’m going to get a job and then I’m going to work on finally falling in love. For real this time. I… I can do this.” 

He looked down towards the safe and was happy to see that his sudden impulse actually worked. The safe was open. Sweet. 

He carefully made his way down the path and walked up to the creek. The water was so clean, he felt bad that he chucked the safe at it so hard. Well whatever. It seemed that what he was hoping for came from this damn… dammit. 

The safe… had another safe inside. This one was locked tight and seemed to have drawings of flowers on it. It was a color lock, yeah he knew what this was for. It was obvious to him. He figured that if he threw this one off the cliff nothing would happen. He’d try tomorrow anyways as right now he didn’t want to walk up and down the hill again. That fall really did a number on him. 

He limped back up the stairs and made his way to a bench. Sleeping in either building seemed like a bad idea. He laid down and grabbed his phone. In his eyes his progress was going pretty well. He got the safe, a pretty obvious code, and some locations to look into, oh and he didn’t die from vengeful spirits. Plus, he got to yell to the heavens and **that** really made him feel better. 

He would look around some more later, right now he needed to rest. 

> **Jumin Han:** Zachary, you’re on. 
> 
> Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** … 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Good evening Zack, Mr. Han. 
> 
> **Zack** : Heya.   
>  **Zack:** Looks like Seven changed the names back
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Yes I saw that earlier   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I was given the title More Experienced Than I Look   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** It’s cumbersome, that name is too long 
> 
> **Zack** : I take it that name isn’t a lie lol
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** …   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Seven please delete that! 
> 
> **Zack:** Lolol 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Zachary 
> 
> **Zack:** yes? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** The cake 
> 
> **Zack:** Did you like it!? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, it was perfect. It was better than any I ever had. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han had me take a picture of it. It was very cute except… 
> 
> **Zack:** You’re just flattering me Jumin   
>  **Zack:** And except what? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han wants to start selling them 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, make more.   
>  **Jumin Han:** As people call them, the “toe beans” were very cute. 
> 
> **Zack:** Oh you mean the squish squish? Lolol I forgot the internet called them toe beans.  
>  **Zack:** Yeah, to make them look like plush squishies I actually made that part using a muffin pan and then used pink icing. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** It was delectable  
>  **Jumin Han:** Please make more 
> 
> **Zack:** Sure, why not.   
>  **Zack:** Did you try some Jaehee? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han would not let anyone try it. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I must say, I did not like having to wait to eat it until I got home
> 
> **Zack:** You could’ve shared… 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** You made it for me. 
> 
> **Zack:** Well, Jaehee, why don’t you come by Pure Joy one day and I’ll make you coffee cake. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I may take you up on that offer.   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** It would be nice to see you again 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** … 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah! It was really fun the last time ^_^! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** May I make a request? 
> 
> **Zack:** Sure thing 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Please make it rum cake. Extra rum 
> 
> **Zack:** lolol sure. 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Perhaps I should visit as well 

Zack flushed. 

> **Zack:** Sure
> 
> **Jumin Han:** But I do believe we should start selling cat cakes. 
> 
> **Zack:** I don’t wanna 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** It would be a perfect business venture.   
>  **Jumin Han** : Zachary, you can be the model for it.
> 
> **Zack:** lol no thx 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I implore you to think it over
> 
> **Zack:** aight   
>  **Zack:** …   
>  Zack: No thanks! ^_^ I’m not the model type
> 
> **Jumin Han:** What a shame
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Did you eat those other treats? I saw there was cookies in the box as well 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Those were cat treats 
> 
> **Zack:** Oh! Did Lizzy eat one? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** She did. She ate them rather quickly. 
> 
> **Zack:** lol I bet! I must say my pet treats are to die for  
>  **Zack:** No animal can say no 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Please do not say that… you don’t know what you’re saying…
> 
> **Zack:** All the animals love me. I’m pretty much awesome 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I see   
>  **Jumin Han:** I shall see to getting you a position at C&R right away
> 
> **Zack:** lolol 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I am not joking 
> 
> **Zack:** ;;; 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I tried to warn you 
> 
> **Zack:** Aye dios mío
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Elizabeth 3rd loved the snacks, as I said. She has been eyeing the rest of them for quite some time. 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, just like I said in the letter, best to give only one a day
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I would like another flavor of cake in the shape of a cat
> 
> **Zack:** Sure, I’ll try another recipe. Lol you and Jaehee can be my guinea pigs 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I don’t think 

They waited for him to finish. 

> **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Nothing. Nevermind 
> 
> **Zack:** Well yeah, anyways it’d be awesome to try some more
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I would love to
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Yes, I agree 
> 
> **Zack:** Cool cool!   
>  **Zack:** So what are you two up to? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I am getting my dinner before going back to work
> 
> **Zack** : Rough 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** I’m heading to my last meeting 
> 
> **Zack:** Yikes. I’m sleepy just thinking about it 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** And you Zack? How is everything? 
> 
> **Zack:** Not great lolol   
>  **Zack:** Just keep on keeping on 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Perhaps you should see that professional I mentioned 
> 
> **Zack** : Lol nah   
>  **Zack:** I don’t feel like it 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** But it may help
> 
> **Zack:** No thank you ^_^   
>  **Zack** : I just wanna move on. I don’t feel like talking about it anymore 
> 
> He held his hoodie closer to him. 
> 
> **Zack:** Is that so wrong? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** No, I suppose not 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** However are you sure that’s best?
> 
> **Zack:** lol probs not but I don’t really care  
>  **Zack** : I just wanna do whatever. I dunno   
>  **Zack:** Maybe talking to a professional would put my life back to stable but like   
>  **Zack:** I just can’t afford it and frankly I can barely think straight half the time   
>  **Zack:** If I could do anything right now  
>  Zack: I’d just run and run and run until I collapsed and then I’d crawl. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Too…where? 
> 
> **Zack:** I dunno  
>  **Zack:** Anywhere   
>  **Zack:** I just want to tire out so much that I just pass out  
>  Zack: That’s what I want to do 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** That doesn’t sound good 
> 
> **Zack:** ^_^ probs not   
>  **Zack:** But who cares? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang** : We don’t want to see you spread yourself to thin
> 
> **Zack:** Says the person who lives at their job 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** That may be but
> 
> **Zack:** We all do it  
>  **Zack:** Maybe you don’t do it voluntarily but are you doing anything about it?   
>  **Zack:** No, you’re not.   
>  **Zack:** Because you’re like me and everyone else.  
>  **Zack:** We just worry about work and getting enough money to retire and getting married because that’s how it is  
>  **Zack:** You delude yourself into thinking that’s what you want  
>  **Zack:** And when you realize all of that was for nothing  
>  **Zack:** You’re too old to do anything about it.   
>  Zack: So tell me again who’s running themselves thin? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** …
> 
> **Zack:** That’s what I thought   
>  **Zack:** Face it Jaehee, you and I are in the same boat. Maybe I’ve been cheated on and I’m a hot mess  
>  **Zack:** But you’ve been cheated by your job and now you’re a tired mess   
>  **Zack:** So, now that you’ve heard that Jumin, maybe you should let up  
>  Zack: Right? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang signed a contract 
> 
> **Zack:** Uh huh you and your damn contracts   
>  **Zack:** which is why I’ll never do business with you  
>  Zack: I say, Jaehee, that you put your papers aside and go home and watch TV or something 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I   
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I must get my food, good day you two. 
> 
> Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** What is with the sudden change from you? 
> 
> **Zack:** I went on a little hike and I fell 
> 
> **Jumin Han:**?   
>  **Jumin Han:** Are you okay? 
> 
> **Zack:** Eh  
>  **Zack:** But anyways on my hike I just screamed at the world and told it to fuck off   
>  **Zack:** And now I feel nice and loose.   
>  **Zack:** I mean, it’s not like my life has magically changed itself from that  
>  **Zack:** But when I talk to you guys I get to thinking about a lot of things  
>  Zack: So I dunno, I may seem harsh and maybe I’ll regret this later but you know what? 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** What? 
> 
> **Zack** : Lol I dunno!   
>  **Zack:** I honestly don’t know  
>  **Zack:** I feel like there are so many parts of me working like crazy. I want to yell and scream, and I want to cry and wallow, and I want to just run and run, but I also want to go home, then again, I feel like laughing.   
>  **Zack:** I have never felt so chaotic lolol   
>  **Zack:** But if i’m being honest. I don’t enjoy this at all   
>  **Zack:** God… I want a moments peace. Just one where nothing happens for gods sake.   
>  **Zack:** can I just get a fucking moments peace!?   
>  **Zack:** I hate this   
>  **Zack:** fjdkbvrjiea;vnf bjfisnjvbfaoi[vnfs  
>  **Zack:** ^ that’s my brain   
>  **Zack:** I gtg   
>  Zack: Have a good night! Tell Fuzz Butt I said hi! 
> 
> Zack has left the chatroom 

He let out a loud sigh and sat up. He didn’t even know what was happening, he just **_was_**. So, in order to calm his chaotic mind, he walked back towards the orphanage and decided to tackle the puzzle. 

What else was there? 

Nothing. 

He literally had nothing. 

He was hanging by a string, upside-down, ready to fall into a pit of utter chaos. He honestly felt a little crazy, he just wanted a break. Any sort of break where he didn’t think about himself or his situation. 

Right now, all he had was Rika and her annoying games. Whatever. 

~* 7:00 PM. *~ 

> _Inside this place is the memories I hold. Granted, this wasn’t my home but the pain is apparent. Children with no loving parents, the pain they must have felt. I can_ ** _hear_** _the babies crying for attention when I’m_ ** _in the nursery_** _. I can_ ** _feel_** {touch} _the loneliness when I walk through the_ ** _play ground_** _. I_ ** _look_** {see} _around the_ ** _cafeteria_** _and the children try to tell me how lonely they are._ ** _I am their savior_** {??? where is this???} _. They are my children_ {This bitch be crazy}. _If I could I would take them_ ** _all to the paradise they deserve_** {Did she kill them!?!?!} _. I can_ ** _save_** _them, I can be the mother they deserve_ {Lord help us} _. No longer will they be_ ** _tainted_** _by the wishes of one day finding a “loving” family._

  * **“Rose - Yellow” _they try to hurt me —_** {This one is the touch one. Look at playground nxt morn}
  * **“Daffodil- Blue” _Corrupted_** _—_ {Tainted I think. Loving family may correlate to the Meeting room. Gotta tread carefully}
  * **“Thistle- Purple” _Save me—_** {She can be their mother? The church is a Catholic one. Inspect Mother Mary statue}
  * **“Lavender- Black” _Savior—_** {Referring to God or Jesus? Maybe herself?? Check angel statues again}
  * **“Rosemary- Orange.” _I hear them_ —** {Nursery * Done. Found orange jewel + a paper with [ 3= L, 4= O, 15= T ] }
  * **“Blue Bonnet- Red”. _They speak—_** {Cafeteria * Done. Found red jewel + paper [ 6= A, 9= P, 10 = Z ] }



Zack lowered his notes and sighed. He was starting to get really cold, luckily for him he had a nice blanket but it wasn’t going to cut it fully. He made a small fire pit and watched a YouTube video on how to make a bow drill. After a couple of attempts he finally had fire. He ate the sandwiches that he made and closed his eyes. What a day. 

If this was a game he’d be loving this. But all he was doing was fighting a headache. He put his chips inside his sandwich and munched loudly. He hoped he’d be able to actually sleep tonight. The thought of sleeping under the stars was kinda nice. He wasn’t in the city so he’d be able to see them pretty clearly tonight. That being said, there was a chance of rain. 

He laughed to himself and rubbed his head. “Boy oh boy.” He sipped his water. “What a shit show.” 

~* 9:00 pm - 11:45 pm *~ 

Damn it was cold. He kept his back to the fire and plugged his phone into one of his portable chargers. He hadn’t brought a pillow or a sleeping bag, which would have been helpful, so he was using his arm as a cushion. His back was still hurting and his knee was still all scraped up. He lazily looked at his phone and played Free Cell, he was already starting to get tired. Today was not easy. He baked a cake and ran around town all morning. And now he was here at Sunflower/Sunshine. They might as well have called it Sunflower. He closed his eyes and covered his face.

… 

…

… 

… 

“Getting closer.” 

Zack opened his eyes. He could hear someone… talking. There were voices coming up the stairs. Police? 

He frantically put out the fire and grabbed his things. He needed to hide. There was a tree near the church, he’d go up that. With adrenaline moving him, Zack hoisted himself up the tree and climbed into one of the branches. He muted his phone and pressed his bag tightly to his chest. It was so dark he wouldn’t be able to see anyone. Hopefully that would be the same for whoever was coming up. 

… 

… 

… 

… 

“Your traps went off?” A woman. 

“Yeah.” A man. “Readings says someones here. Really, ……… done it myself.” 

“No. This place is too important. Come, let’s take a look.” 

“Of course Savior.” 

Zack froze. No way. He squinted his eyes though it was pointless. Whoever it was were just silhouettes. 

“There was a fire here.” The man spoke. 

“Homeless…” She didn’t sound too sure about that. The flashlight waved around. Zack kept as still as possible. “Check the church, I’m going to check the safe.” 

_God… come on…_ The safe was currently in his bag along with the jewels he found. 

“Okay.” The man walked towards his direction. Zack covered his mouth and stopped breathing. The light shined across the tree but never up. The figure walked into the church. Zack was terrified. 

_ Holy shit. No way. No… no way. Traps? What do they mean? The floor? The dolls?! Maybe…  _

Long minutes passed. Zack just kept his eyes glued to the church as he listened to the man walk around. 

“GET OVER HERE!” She screeched suddenly. 

Zack jumped and the tree branch shook. His heart stopped. 

The man ran out and looked at the tree. He was about to approach when- 

“GET OVER HERE NOW!!!” 

“… Yes Savior!!” He called back and ran towards the orphanage. 

Zack quickly climbed down the tree and ran behind the church. He needed a better place but where!? He ran back inside the church and looked around. There, the confessional booth. He stepped in and used his phone to take a look around. A spider web, no spider, _dammit don’t be poisonous wherever you are_. He pulled his hood up and held his bag tightly to his chest. 

After thirty tortuous long minutes he heard footsteps come running towards the church. 

“You checked everywhere?!” She sounded panicked. 

“Yes! There’s nothing here!” 

“I told you! I told _you_!!! Install cameras here!!!” She was livid. 

“I- I’m sorry Savior! I was just so swam-aagh!!” 

“I don’t want to hear excuses! You have done this to us!!! You!!!!” 

“But I- ARGH!!” 

_What was she doing?_ Zack squeezed his bag tighter. He was shaking. 

“W-we… we will have to come back later. Plant more information to push him in the right direction. Those files… they _have_ to be here somewhere. If…” She growled. “If we can just get _those_ files then we’ll be set!” 

_ Him… who’s him?? And what files? MORE files? Come on… _

“I will. J-just please… your heel…” 

“You must receive punishment Ray…” She said sweetly. 

Zack felt like he had entirely stopped breathing altogether. 

“But I- AAAH! Pl-please! It hurts…” 

He held his mouth closed as he prayed that they would leave. 

“Ray… do not question me.” She said softly. 

“O-of course not…” He sounded like he was in immense pain. 

“Now, let’s go. And dress that wound, it looks ghastly. We shall… tsk. We shall check again tomorrow. Whoever took that safe, I want them to receive punishment sevenfold.” 

“Y-yes Savior.” 

The voices started to fade. 

Zack refused to move for nearly two hours. He just stood there shaking. What on earth did he stumble into? 

_I… I want to go home…_ He quietly left the church and trembled as he walked towards the bench. He collapsed and started panicking. This… was no game. 

This was too real. 

Who was that woman? A successor?! And Rika had once wrote about a Ray. Was this V’s doing!? And what files? She made it sound like the safe didn’t hold what she was looking for. So what _did_ this safe hold? And who was this _him_ they were talking about? 

Zack squeezed his eyes shut and tried to find any way to breathe. 

He just wanted to go home. He hated this. This was way to much. There was no way… no way at all. He was too useless to do anything about this. 

“Ungh…” He was so frustrated that he was starting to hyperventilate. 

He didn’t know what to do. Call Lloyd? No. He couldn’t do that. 

His parents? No. He couldn’t worry them. 

Hannah? No way she was pregnant. 

“Zack?” He hadn’t even realized he dialed Jumin’s number. “Are you okay?” 

“N-no.” He gasped. 

“What’s happening? Why are you breathing like that?” 

“I c-can’t breathe!” He was starting to get scared. 

“Just calm down, hold on.” He could hear rapid typing. “Where are you right now?” 

“Does—doesn’t matter.” 

“Are you hyperventilating?” 

“Mmm!!” He grasped his chest. Either that or he was having a heart attack. He couldn’t tell. 

“All…alright. Stay calm. And listen to my instructions.” 

~* 1 am *~ 

Zack looked up at the stars. 

“I told you Jumin, no.” He chuckled. “I don’t want to sell cat cakes.” 

“I don’t see why you wouldn’t, you would make a huge profit.” 

“In your eyes.” 

“People love cats Zachary.” 

Zack smiled. “You and Seven only.” 

“Luciel does not love cats, he abuses them.” 

“What was it? He wanted to make them into long cats or something right?” 

“Do not remind me. I may have to report Luciel… hmm. Perhaps I shall.” 

“Aww, don’t do that.” He was exhausted, but he was too afraid to sleep. After Jumin helped him calm down the two just randomly started talking. It wasn’t instant, they stayed silent for quite some time, but now, they had been talking about mundane things for about an hour. “If you do I’ll make cat cake for everyone in the RFA but you.” 

“… I won’t report him.” 

He pulled his blanket closer to his chest. He was so cold but he was afraid to even make a fire again. What if Savior and Ray were still around? When Zack had calmed down enough he went back to the church and saw blood where that man once stood. He… didn’t want to know. 

“That’s good.” Zack yawned. 

“You’re exhausted, you need to sleep.” 

“Only if you promise to give Jaehee a break. And! None of that ‘well, the contract’” He mimicked Jumin’s voice. 

“That sounded nothing like me.” 

“You get the picture! Promise me.” 

“… I will give her tomorrow off. If you promise to make me another cake.” 

“Tsk, sure sure.” 

“But you must also promise that you will deliver it to me in person and eat it with me.” 

Zack flushed. “F…fine.” 

“Good. Then it’s a promise.” He could hear the smile in Jumin’s voice. “Then, I shall let you go.” 

_Please don’t._ “Okay. Night.” 

“Good night Zachary.” 

They hung up. 

Zack glanced around. He could still hear her screeching voice, the sound of agony from that man, and how calmly she hurt him. He hugged his bag close to him. 

He wished someone would give him a hug. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this flowed okay.   
> I did the silly chat to kinda balance what was to come lololol. Also my humor is just too stupid  
> Also also, did I make Rika too evil? cuz she's that evil to me.   
> Zack is very chaotic this time around but I dunno. I've been there before. It's just that you can't even think straight and everything feels like it's on MAX.   
> Frostlesskiss, keheheheheheheh I await your reaction to a certain something. Although it's not here yet >:) "Zack you better not trip" is what I would keep in mind lololol
> 
> As always I love your guys's support! Thank you! I'm sorry I don't respond to all of them;;; But I promise you I see all of the comments. Thank you!


	11. Day 6: An Unexpected Meeting

***~ 4 am ; Downpour ; Moonlight Creek Water Level: Rising *~**

The plan was to wake up and go back to the apartment. That _was_ the plan. It seemed Mother Nature had a different agenda for Zack. He was only able to get two hours of sleep before being rudely awakened by a couple of sprinkles. Luckily for him he got up and moved to the church before it got worse. He made a careful fire pit and had pushed a pew close enough for him to enjoy the warmth and be somewhat comfortable. He laid on his back, body covered completely, and stared up at the ceiling. 

The church smelled intensely of incense and it only seemed to permeate more thanks to the rain. The stained glass windows made the room feel like he was somewhat underwater. It was kind of nice, kind of. He looked at his phone and took a glimpse to where the storm was spreading. Only here, of course. The apartment and the Yi’s place was dry as a bone. If only he never came here. 

Luckily, he still had some connection, albeit it was shoddy. The only person on the chat right now was Seven. This was perfect, he had something extremely important to tell him. He opened the private messaging. 

> **Zack:** Is it raining where you are?
> 
> **707:** Not yet! But weather reports say it will soon  
>  **707:** Is it raining for you? 
> 
> **Zack** : No, I just was wondering since that storm is brewing and all. 
> 
> **707:** Yeah I know, I gotta make sure I have back-ups of my back-ups back-ups.  
>  **707:** But~  
>  **707:** What’s with suddenly texting me all secret?  
>  **707:** Have you…  
>  **707:** Fallen for me!?!?  
>  **707:** ☆⌒ヽ (*' 、 ^*)chu
> 
> **Zack:** I think you know why 
> 
> **707:** Getting straight to the point are we?  
>  **707:** All riiiighhhttt 
> 
> **Zack:** You went into the apartment on V’s orders  
>  **Zack:** Do you even know what these files hold? 
> 
> **707:** No
> 
> **Zack:** I’ll just assume you’re telling the truth 
> 
> **707:** Why do you care so much anyways? 
> 
> **Zack:** I dunno
> 
> **707:** If you’re looking for a distraction  
>  **707:** You don’t have to use us
> 
> **Zack:** That may be  
>  **Zack:** And maybe that really was my intention  
>  **Zack:** But I think this charity is hiding something
> 
> **707:**  
>  **707:** Like what
> 
> **Zack** : I want you to promise me  
>  **Zack:** Do not tell V
> 
> **707:** Why? 
> 
> **Zack:** Promise me  
>  **Zack:** If I find that you break this promise  
>  **Zack:** I’ll burn those files. I’ll destroy everything
> 
> **707** : Is it really so bad?
> 
> **Zack:** yes
> 
> **707:** You’re joking 
> 
> **Zack:** No. I’m not 
> 
> **707:** What is it? What’s being hidden? 
> 
> **Zack** : You still haven’t promised 
> 
> **707:**  
>  **707:**  
>  **707:** Okay I promise
> 
> **Zack:** The RFA funds have been embezzled 
> 
> **707:** No  
>  **707:** I inputted the data myself
> 
> **Zack:** Did you receive the data first hand? Or did you receive it form Rika? 
> 
> **707:** I  
>  **707:** I received it from Rika but what does that matter? 
> 
> **Zack:** It matters a lot  
>  **Zack:** Recall your first party. The one involving Sunflower 
> 
> **707:** I remember 
> 
> **Zack:** Tell me, did anything seem strange? 
> 
> **707:** No, I never got to see the orphanage myself but we got thank you letters. I also saw the website and it was legit.  
>  **707:** I know it closed down though. 
> 
> **Zack:** When? 
> 
> **707:** It wasn’t that long. I think it was maybe two-three years ago
> 
> **Zack:** Do you think that’s enough time for the place to be overrun with vegetation? Enough for it to be rotting and falling apart? 
> 
> **707:** What do you mean?  
>  **707:** Wait  
>  **707:** Are you there now?! 
> 
> **Zack:** I am
> 
> **707:** Why? What are you doing there? 
> 
> **Zack:** Rika writes about this place quite often. 

Assuming that is. 

> **Zack:** She hid something here  
>  **Zack:** And I think whatever it is, V wants it
> 
> **707:**
> 
> **Zack:** Something happened while I was here  
>  **Zack:** Something that I can’t debunk as just a random case of embezzled funds. Something is just terrifying about this place 
> 
> **707:** Then why are you still there? 
> 
> **Zack:** If you check the weather you’ll know why
> 
> **707:** Why on earth did you go alone? 
> 
> **Zack:** Because I didn’t understand the severity of this  
>  **Zack:** I thought it would be something a little simple. I was expecting odd but not this  
>  **Zack** : I think the orphanage was rigged to scare off intruders. Weird things were happening, very supernatural.  
>  **Zack:** And although I like a good ghost story, the stuff that was happening was too Hollywood
> 
> **707:** d  
>  **707:** If you can, check for motion censors

Was Seven believing him? Was V being called right now? 

> **707:** What else happened? 
> 
> **Zack:** I managed to get to the second floor  
>  **Zack:** and now that I think about it, I found a clue way too easily.  
>  **Zack:** It was clean and if I recall correctly, it had been put there recently
> 
> **707:** What? 
> 
> **Zack:** The moment I found it the floor caved under me
> 
> **707:** What!? Are you okay?! 
> 
> **Zack:** I think. I’m still walking and breathing
> 
> **707:** I don’t understand. Why are you doing this? 
> 
> **Zack:** Simply, I was curious.  
>  **Zack:** It was my job to find things like this  
>  **Zack:** Regardless of me being an assistant, I was always sent on field work to gather evidence  
>  **Zack:** People who embezzle funds are scumbags. Some are really good at mirroring sympathy and others are just plain douchebags.  
>  **Zack:** But it wasn’t the case for you guys The only persons who raised flags for me was V and Rika. At one point you did too but something changed my mind  
>  **Zack:** Which is why I’m telling you this now  
>  **Zack:** I’m also telling you because I’m way over my element here and out of everyone, I think you’re the right person to tell.  
>  **Zack:** Sure Jumin has resources, but he’s V’s best friend. Whereas for you, while it’s all my basic speculation, are like his little errand boy
> 
> **707:** It is more than that
> 
> **Zack:** Even so  
>  **Zack:** The fact that I’m not getting a call from V speaks volumes to me

Seven didn’t respond. Hopefully it was only because he was shocked. 

> **Zack:** I’ll continue then  
>  **Zack:** After the fall I eventually followed the notes clues. There’s this safe here and it’s locked using colored gems. The note, by the way, is written in someone’s perspective and my guess is that it’s Rika. The note states that they dislike the orphanage because it gives the children false hope of ever being adopted. It also gives off the vibe that loving parents are just a myth. The writer of the note then states that they can save the children, be their true mother, and take them to true paradise.  
>  **Zack:** The handwriting matches the files. This is my reason for thinking it belongs to Rika. Anyways, I managed to collect two colored gems before having to take a break. By then it was getting darker and colder so I had to set up camp

Seven still wasn’t responding. 

> **Zack:** I was starting to fall asleep when I heard voices of a man and a woman. I thought they were police so I hid. However, it seemed they were tipped off that someone was here at the orphanage. The woman went to go check for the safe, which was currently in my possession, and she flipped out. Afterwards she blamed the man for the safe being stolen and she attacked him. I don’t know how, I was hiding, but I know she did because there’s blood where he most likely was. They said they’d check the area tomorrow, they’re also looking for something past the safe. Some type of file. I think, I’ll open this safe and then I’m leaving. 
> 
> **707:** that  
>  **707:** You need to leave immediately Zack
> 
> **Zack:** I know this. But I’m so close
> 
> **707:** Who cares!? Get home! Right now! 
> 
> **Zack** : No Seven, I’m close to opening this.  
>  **Zack:** I know what I’m doing is stupid  
>  **Zack:** But something isn’t right.
> 
> **707:** Exactly! This is insane so just come home! 
> 
> **Zack:** No  
>  **Zack:** You all talk about the RFA so positively  
>  **Zack:** aren’t you the least bit curious as to what the hell is happening!?
> 
> **707:** I am! But I don’t want to satiate my curiosity by getting you killed!
> 
> **Zack:** Who ever said I was gonna die? 
> 
> **707:** You had multiple times where you could have!  
>  **707:** What if the traps had been deadly!? You didn’t even know they were there! And what if you died when the floor collapsed! One bad position of wood or metal and your body would have been pierced! And what if those people had found you! Hell they still can!! Go home! 

Zack’s stomach dropped. That was all true, he knew that, but

> **Zack:** I will. Tomorrow. 
> 
> **707:** Zack please.  
>  **707:** Just go home where it’s safe
> 
> **Zack:** The apartment isn’t safe Seven  
>  **Zack:** Not when it’s belonged to Rika
> 
> **707:** The apartment  
>  **707:** I  
>  **707:** Then I’ll get you a hotel! Go there!
> 
> **Zack:** Not yet Seven. 
> 
> **707:** What if something happens to you!? 
> 
> **Zack:** I know.  
>  **Zack:** I know this.  
>  **Zack:** I know I 
> 
> **707:** No please! Do. Not. Do. This! Come home! 
> 
> **Zack:** I will once the rain lets up and once I have the colored stones
> 
> **707:** Fuck the colored stones! Just go and run when the rain stops. 

Zack bit his lip. He didn’t even know why he was being so difficult. 

> **Zack:** What if I call you while I’m doing it? 
> 
> **707:** I still don’t like it
> 
> **Zack:** at the first sign of danger I’ll come home.  
>  **Zack:** No actually  
>  **Zack:** The moment you say to leave I’ll leave. No fighting back
> 
> **707:** I’m saying you should leave **now**
> 
> **Zack:** I’ll follow all your orders 
> 
> **707:** No. Leave now
> 
> **Zack:** I’ll do everything you say
> 
> **707:** Then leave now! 
> 
> **Zack:** Please Seven.  
>  **Zack:** I can’t have another person tricking people behind their backs!  
>  **Zack:** This kind of behavior I can’t stand for!  
>  **Zack:** I’ve been there! Sure it was with my ex but the feeling of being lied to for so long is awful! I hate every damn second of my life right now  
>  **Zack:** I don’t want to see it happen to you all
> 
> **707:** This  
>  **707:** This isn’t as straightforward as a cheating partner.  
>  **707:** With everything you’ve told me  
>  **707:** the scale of this is just too much
> 
> **Zack:** I know  
>  **Zack:** But I  
>  **Zack:** I can’t let it fly  
>  **Zack:** The feeling of being betrayed is more than you can imagine  
>  **Zack:** It drives people to do crazy things. Sure that can be happening to me but I can’t stand for this  
>  **Zack:** I can’t
> 
> **707:** I’m sorry you feel that way but  
>  **707:** can’t you just wait until I get there? 
> 
> **Zack:** I could I guess but I want to get this done soon  
>  **Zack:** Before they destroy evidence 
> 
> **707:** This is ridiculous  
>  **707:** Why did you go and do something so stupid? 
> 
> **Zack:** As I said before, I didn’t realize the severity of this
> 
> **707:** God  
>  **707** : Fine. In the morning I want you to call me right away.  
>  **707:** The moment I think it’s unsafe I’m ordering you to come home, no questions
> 
> **Zack:** Okay. Agreed  
>  **Zack:** Seven  
>  **Zack:** This stays between us
> 
> **707:** Yes, I promised didn’t I?  
>  **707:** Damn your signal keeps dropping. I can’t call you right now
> 
> **Zack:** It’s fine. I doubt they’re walking around in this downpour. I don’t think I can sleep anyways so I’ll stay alert 
> 
> **707:** Dammit  
>  **707:** Fine. Okay. Just send me an ‘okay’ every ten minutes 
> 
> **Zack:** Deal
> 
> **707:** Good.  
>  **707:** Fucking hell  
>  **707:** Okay, I just  
>  **707:** call me immediately at the first sign of sunlight.
> 
> **Zack:** Okay
> 
> **707:** then  
>  **707:** stay alert 
> 
> **Zack:** I will 

Zack closed his phone and sighed. This was awful. But he felt better that he told someone. Just in case… if anything happens, someone will know where to find him. 

Zack sucked in breath and sat up. He hugged his knees to his chest and trembled. He didn’t want to end up dead. He really didn’t know everything would be this bad. He honestly thought this would be an easy trip. To think it had come to this. 

**~* 5 am ; Steady Rain ; Moonlight Creek Water Level : Warning*~**

He looked at who was online right now, just Jumin. He didn’t even realize how he was slowly becoming dependent on Jumin. To think that his friendship with Jumin and the slow growing bong of trust with Seven would eventually unravel another problem. If only he had known then. If only he knew that he was standing in a den of demons. 

“Zachary? What are you still doing up?” 

“No reason.” He smiled. 

“It’s four in the morning. And is that rain I hear?” 

“I know and no it’s just some thing I have, uhm,playing. Helps me calm down.” 

“I see.” There was a shuffling of papers. 

“Well, what are you doing up?” 

“I’m getting some files ready before I head to work.” Before Zack could comment on that Jumin added, “And, I’m looking into where I want to enjoy the cake you make me.” 

Zack smirked as he played with the straps of his hoodie. He kept his eyes on the windows and door. “You sure are eager. But, I can’t do it today.” 

“… And why is that?” 

_Is that disappointment I hear?_ Zack bit his lip, he felt a little special from that reaction. “I have something very important that I’m doing. But I promise that I’ll do it tomorrow.” _If I can get some rest that is._

Jumin sighed. “I see, perhaps I should postpone Assistant Kang-“ 

“I’m gonna cut you off right there, you said you’d give her today off. Did you already tell her?” 

“Yes I had.” 

“Well then.” 

Jumin sighed again. “Yes, you’re right.” 

Zack chuckled. He pulled the phone away to quickly shoot Seven an ‘okay’. “Yeah, good boy Mr. CEO.” 

“Hmph, you seem to have gotten comfortable with talking with me.” 

Zack flushed. “Have I? Well, maybe it is a bit easier after everything I guess. And maybe I just like talking with you.” 

“Maybe? You’re not sure?” 

“I guess you’ll have to keep talking to me to asses that yourself.” 

“Well then, let’s keep talking.” 

He grazed his teeth over his lips. “Hnnn alright, what are you even preparing for anyways?” 

“I’m doing business with a fishing company from Alaska.” Jumin went on to explain the specifics, Zack just pretended he knew what he was saying. Though, it seemed Jumin caught on and started to change his wording into something simpler. “We’re using it for an agreement on one of the branches in America.” 

“Mmm, I see. You sure are hard working. But, then I’m not really surprised.” 

“Yes well, that’s the burden of being a CEO.” 

_Whoah, wasn’t expecting that._ Zack adjusted his seating and flinched as he felt a splinter stick into his arm. “Tsk. Well, I applaud you. You’re young-ish right? I don’t think I could ever run a business, certainly not one like yours. But even so, I do hope you’re taking care of yourself.” He tangled his fingers into his hoodie strap. “Sorry, that I… keep calling you and all that.” 

“It’s fine. It doesn’t bother me. It’s a nice break.” 

He couldn’t help but graze his teeth over his bottom lip again. “Yeah, me too.” _Ah dammit._ He cleared his throat. “Even though we’re basically total opposites.” 

“I don’t think we’re so different.” 

The rain slowly began to let up. He hadn’t realized how hard he was pressing his phone against his ear. _Just to hear him? Well, it was because of the rain_.He quickly sent an okay to Seven. But… now that the rain was letting up he needed to start getting to work. He sighed and closed his eyes. “I guess not. Hey… uhm… if you don’t hear from me tonight can you do me a favor and just… just check on Bu- Muffin and Pure Joy for me?” 

“…What do you mean? What are you doing?” 

“You don’t have to go personally, just at have someone check.” 

“What do you mean Zachary?” 

_Beep beep_

Seven was calling. 

“Please. I have to run, sorry. Bye!” He hung up the call with Jumin and answered Seven’s. “Okay. I’m ready.” He breathed. 

He looked at his notes: 

  * **“Rose - Yellow” _they try to hurt me —_** {This one is the touch one. Look at playground nxt morn}
  * **“Daffodil- Blue” _Corrupted_** _—_ {Tainted I think. Loving family may correlate to the Meeting room. Gotta tread carefully}
  * **“Thistle- Purple” _Save me—_** {She can be their mother? The church is a Catholic one. Inspect Mother Mary statue}
  * **“Lavender- Black” _Savior—_** {Referring to God or Jesus? Maybe herself?? Check angel statues again}
  * **“Rosemary- Orange.” _I hear them_ —** {Nursery * Done. Found orange jewel + a paper with 3= L, 4= O, 15= T}
  * **“Blue Bonnet- Red”. _They speak—_** {Cafeteria * Done. Found red jewel + paper [ 6= A, 9= P, 10 = Z ] }



 

“I still don’t like this. But… let’s just hurry this up.” Seven was tapping his fingers against a table. 

“Yeah.” There was a silence between them as he made his way to the Mother Mary statue. “Ah… sorry I just need to look.” He mumbled an apology to her. He quickly gave the sign of the cross out of old habit. 

“What?” 

“Was talking to myself.” 

“Good to know that I’m not the only one who does that.” 

“Haha, of course not. What about arguments with yourself? I love that.” 

“Well it’s a lose-win situation.” Seven chuckled. 

“Sometimes it can be a real eye open- ew- opener.” He nearly touched a roach. He looked around and dragged his fingers over the wooden statue. Anything? Anything at all? “AGH!” He bounced back as a roach climbed up his arm. “Dammit! Damn!” He brushed it off and crushed it under his foot. 

“What!? What!?” 

“Nothing… just a roach… dammit. It was coming for my face.” 

“Ew… but agh you nearly gave me a heart attack!” 

“Sorry sorry.” He shivered. “I… hey, how about we just keep talking. Maybe that’ll calm us both down?” 

“Yeah… yeah.” Seven took a deep breath. “Yeah.” 

“So, let’s talk about Star Trek. I hope you know your stuff because I’m a big fan.” 

Seven’s voice suddenly got lighter. “Not as big a fan as me! Okay! Favorite series go!” 

Talking about simple things calmed them both down. With this Zack was able to find the purple stone hidden inside the Mother’s hands and moved to grab his umbrella. The rain just wouldn’t stop, but at least it wasn’t as bad as before. “Okay… How about I just get the most dangerous part out of the way?” 

“Ugh… okay. Just keep talking.” 

“Okay, then I’m heading into the orphanage.” 

“Is the sun at least out?” 

“Nope.” 

“Great.” Seven sighed. “Well, okay before you do that look for the censors.” 

“Right.” A stream of water rolled down from the orphanage. That… didn’t look good. Zack grunted as he pushed the door open and peaked in. This place looked more grim than normal. “Okay, I’m inside.” 

“Now, these sensors can vary but the most common are the ones that rest on the floor. They’re black and are usually hard to see but they have to be powered, whether by battery or wire. So either way, they will have a little, teeny, tiny light.” 

“Okay, seeing as it’s still dark I might be able to see it.” 

Better said than done. It took Zack nearly an hour to finally find it, and more than once did he fall into the floorboards. “Okay… Okay here it is.” Zack grunted. “Now what?” 

“Pull it out and tell me the serial code.” 

He yanked on it with all his might. It came off surprisingly easy. “It’s… been scratched out.” 

“Of course.” Seven sighed. “Okay, can you just keep it and bring it back to me?” 

“Sure. Oh… in person?” 

“Huh? Oh… yeah I guess so.” 

“Hey, you know… I just want to say… I… You know, I’m just sorry.” 

Seven paused. “W-what do you mean?” 

“I dunno. I just… I put so much shit on you, I…” 

“It’s fine…” 

They didn’t say much after that. Zack went on and looked at the doll he smashed and found a transceiver in its neck. After he got all the evidence for Seven he moved towards the Meeting Room. The hole made from his fall was rather small so hopefully it would be safe. He carefully treaded along the the flooring and took a look around the room. It was too big for him to really get a grasp on where this next gem would be hidden, and the more he stood in the room, the more the floor creaked. He was beginning to think the floor collapsing wasn’t planned. He carefully looked through every crevice he could reach but he was coming up empty. “Dammit.” He looked around frustrated. 

“Why don’t you take a breather?” 

“I…” Truthfully he really wanted to go home as soon as possible so he didn’t want to waste time taking breaks. And he was getting so close. At least he _was_ , now that he couldn’t solve this puzzle he was getting a bit irritated. “Fine. I’ll go check somewhere else… So, I take it your work is stressful.” He carefully walked through the room. The floors groaned. 

“Yeah it is.” 

“Is that why you say such silly things?” 

“…What do you mean?” 

“Well, I mean, I get you’re in a serious mode but… I dunno. I mean sometimes you come in and you just act like nothing has happened. I honestly didn’t know what to think.” 

“Well then and now was a different situation.” 

“I know but I mean… Never mind.” Zack looked down the hole he fell through. He shined his flashlight down it. “…Damn, it’s not there either. Maybe I have the room totally wrong.” 

“What does the note say?” 

Zack recited it. 

“Hmm…” Seven was tapping something. “The meeting room does sound like the most likely area but… huh…” 

“Yeah, exactly.” 

“Maybe it’d actually be the lounge. Normally meeting rooms was meant for the parents and the coordinator. But the kids met in the lounge.” 

“What makes you think that?” 

“Because the family would usually meet and then they’d go to the cafeteria to eat in a sort of safe environment. See, when parents first came they’d be able to see the children as they go up to the meeting room to meet with the head of the house.” 

“I…guess? You sure though?” Zack finally got out of the room. 

“Not really… but that’s how some places do it… s-so I’ve heard.” 

“Well…” _Is Seven adopted?_ “Okay, I’ll go over there. Ugh but the carpet is so moldy. I shouldn’t even think to touch it.” 

“…Well… I mean, well, ugh. Whoever put the gem there would have had to think of that. Did those people who came by have any equipment on them?” 

“It was so dark to tell but… I don’t think so.” 

“Maybe it’s just nearby.” 

Zack carefully walked the steps and moved towards the lounge. “God… I dunno about this.” 

“Describe it to me.” 

“Okay, the carpet is definitely a colony of mold spores, there’s a broken coffee table in the middle of the carpet, it looks like it’s sinking in, and there’s two cushioned armchairs. Lord, should I even be standing here at all?” 

“P-pro…probably not.” Seven sighed. “Anything nearby?” 

“An old painting on the wall. It’s go a woman holding an infant. She’s not wearing clothes but she is wearing a pendent.” 

“A pendent? Does it look like the jewels?” 

“No… but the colors do. Oh!” 

“Yeah check behind it!” Seven even sounded a little excited. It was because of these puzzles that made he feel like all of this was a game. It completely destroyed the severity of everything so much that Zack constantly reminded himself of the danger he was in. He carefully shoved his hands into his hoodie sleeves and pulled the paining down. It wasn’t the ideal safety method, but at least it was something. He flipped the painting around and cheered. “Yeah!?” Seven must have leaned forward in his chair since Zack could hear it creak. 

“Yeah!” 

“Nice! How many more to go?” 

  * **“Rose - Yellow” _they try to hurt me —_** {This one is the touch one. Look at playground nxt morn}
  * Done: **“Daffodil- Blue” _Corrupted_**
  * _Done:_ **“Thistle- Purple” _Save me_**
  * **“Lavender- Black” _Savior—_** {Referring to God or Jesus? Maybe herself?? Check angel statues again}
  * _Done:_ **“Rosemary- Orange.” _I hear them_**
  * _Done:_ **“Blue Bonnet- Red”. _They speak_**



“Two!” Zack smiled as he checked off his list. 

“Yes!! Okay great! Just hang in there and let’s get this over with.” 

“Yup. Okay, I’m going to go to the playground.” 

“Ew. Creepy.” 

“Yeah I know.” He placed the gem in his bag. He saw a weird indent in the back of the painting. “Oh, there’s a paper here. 1= N, 20=M, 17=R.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“Not sure yet.” He wrote that down and headed for the backdoor. “This whole thing is still scary but it’s a little more bearable with you on the line.” 

“Just a little huh? Shall I recite my favorite Star Trek episode line for line?” 

Zack laughed. “You know what? Yeah.” 

Seven was not joking. He knew every line, and Zack nearly knew most of the responses. It became a strange acting game between the two. All of it was a little forced, and in Zack’s mind they were forcing themselves to be extra friendly. He wished that things were different because Seven seemed genuinely nice and funny. He wished that none of this was happening. That he could just laugh with them all at that stupid party. Hell, was he even going to bother at this point? 

“And credits roll.” Seven laughed. 

Zack hummed the ending theme as he stepped around the playground equipment. “This rain is a bitch.” He shivered. “It’s so biting, the umbrella is virtually useless.” 

“You need to stay warm.” 

“I know. Uhm…” He ducked under the monkey gym. “You know… I still feel bad.” 

“Ha! You really can’t let this stuff go.”

“No. It bothers me. I mean, I don’t need your approval and it’s not like I need you to like me… okay it really bothers me to think that you might not like me, but I can deal… mostly. But I mean like, I just… Look you seem really cool and I just feel bad.” His hands shook as he searched around the swings and slides. This playground wasn’t big but there was a lot of stuff out here, and with the rainfall, the ground was muddy and slippery. Zack had to take extra care into not falling or possibly twisting his ankle. 

“You don’t need to concern yourself with me.” 

“Because… you don’t like me?” Zack said as he climbed up the slide and looked under anything he could. 

“Heh, no I mean… I meant that you shouldn’t waste your time on someone as inconsequential as me.” 

Zack paused. The rain numbed his face but he didn’t care right now. “… You shouldn’t… say things like that.” 

“Well, it’s true. I mean… thanks for wanting to be a friend and all but you should just focus elsewhere. You don’t want to waste your time with-“ 

“You can’t dictate what is and isn’t a waste to me. I do.” His tone became serious and cold. 

“R-right. Sorry.” 

Zack cleared his throat. “Well, this gem is a pain. It says: _I can feel the dread when I walk through the play ground_. But I’m not sure what to do with that.” 

“Yeah… that one is too vague. Well, maybe it’s in the perspective of an adult? The writer can feel it so they’re not interacting with the kids?” 

“Right… that could be. Let’s see. If I was watching the kids playing I’d stand, hmm…” 

“Sounds a little creepy when you say it like that.” 

Zack scoffed. “You know what I mean.” He could feel his fingers going a bit numb. “Here. I think.” He stood at an area that allowed him to observe the whole playground in its entirety. There were no benches here but there was an old tree stump. It was hollowed out and overflowing with the ice cold water and who knows what else. Zack clicked his tongue, he had cuts on his hands and, as the grandson of a microbiologist, he sure as hell wasn’t going to stick his bare hands in. “Give me a moment.” He looked around until he found a good stick. Covering his hands with the hoodie sleeves again he began to dig around. There was certainly something in there. “Hey, you ever read The Hot Zone?” 

“By the Richard guy? The one about Ebola? Yeah.” 

“What’d you think of it?” 

“I’ve read it two times. The first time I was terrified.” 

“Same.” 

“But then I read it again and started to do my research.” 

“Yeah, bit of fear-mongering don’t you think?” 

“Heh, well your organs don’t just liquefy. They certainly shut down.” 

“Yeah, that part was disgusting. But I bring it up because my grandad was a microbiologist for the military.” 

“Wow!” 

“Yeah, he worked in Level 4 Biohazard stuff.” There, the gem. Now to just tease it out. Whoever put it here really jammed it inside. 

“Whoah… like what?” 

“HIV and AIDS actually. It was before they even had antibiotics for it. He was part of the team that looked into that.” 

“That must’ve been crazy.” 

“Well,” He grunted as he moved the gem around, “there was still a stigma to it. But my grandad really didn’t care. Once he met my grandma though and they had my dad, my grandad quit his job and went to work as a barber.” 

“That’s a dramatic shift.” 

“I thought so too. I asked if he regretted it and he said not in a million years. He was the type to be overly cautious which is probably good in his scientist years. He was scared of never coming home again. My grandmother went to college to be a secretary but my dad was a hell raiser. Grandad was afraid of leaving them alone. He grew up without a dad and he didn’t want to do that my dad.” 

“Wow… he must’ve really loved his son.” Seven’s voice was a bit quiet. 

“Yeah. I wish I could say the same for my mom. Her real dad is in prison for life. Her step-dad didn’t come into her life until she was sixteen, I think. Abuelita was nice but at an early age she had some kind of mental deterioration. One day she’d be real kind, the next she’d say some real hurtful things.” He got the gem. Carefully he dragged it into the ground. He used his covered hands to grab it and shook. He was getting so cold. “She would tell my mom how much she hated that ma looked like her real dad. My ma would dye her hair and try everything to keep her mother happy. It really hurt her self-esteem I think. Ma will sometimes randomly dye her hair blonde. Mexican ladies can look nice with blonde hair but my ma looks best with her natural brown.” _I need to keep talking. I can’t think about the cold. Just get the last gem, open the safe, and get home._

“I’ve… seen pictures of them.” 

“Course you have.” Zack chuckled, although it was coming out weird since he teeth were chattering. He just needed to solve the last one. But where was the paper with the codes on it? He looked into the trunk and sighed. There… drenched and destroyed in the water. “Damn.” 

“Something up?” 

“No… nothing. Got the next gem.” 

“Nice! Now what?” 

“ Let me read my notes… mmm, **“Lavender- Black” _Savior—_** {Referring to God or Jesus? Maybe herself?? Check angel statues again}.” He sighed, more outdoor things. “I need to get to the front of the building.” 

“Okay… but uh, you alright? Your voice sounds strained. Why don’t you go and take a break?” 

“Almost done.” 

“You said you’d listen to me, no questions asked.” 

“F-fine.” He hugged himself. “Okay.” He decided it would be best to just go back to the church and warm up, no use in freezing to death out here. 

**~* 12 pm; Downpour; Moonlight Creek Water Level: Hazardous *~**

Zack sat with his back to the fire and sighed. He’d been waiting for nearly two hours now. The rain had suddenly came out of nowhere and the whole orphanage was an impassible mud slide. He began to wonder if the hill would just flood and sink to the ground. His phone was charing in his last portable charger and he was wearing his last pair of clothing while his other clothes dried over his little fire. Seven had to hang up about an hour ago due to something pressing. He didn’t want to doubt Seven, but he couldn’t stop himself from praying that Seven was keeping his promise. 

Would V really send out someone to hurt him? Those two from yesterday didn’t seem stable at all. Seven seemed to be doubting V, if just a little. But no matter what, he wasn’t regretting his decision in telling him. He wanted to tell Jumin too but he was afraid of what he’d think. Why did all of this even have to happen? 

“Ugh! No use complaining about it anymore!” He had to let it go. This was happening, he had to accept that. “Gahhhh…” He leaned back onto his bag and looked at the safe. Just one more gem. He stuck the others inside and smiled, they fit perfectly. “Why make this so elaborate? What’s your game?” He pushed his curls back and wiped his dusty face. A little nap couldn’t hurt. He texted Seven letting him know and then rolled over with his back to the fire. 

**~* 1:30 pm; Severe Downpour; Moonlight Creek Water Level: Hazardous *~**

…

…

…

*CRACK* 

Zack startled awake. His peaceful sleep was broken by a loud crashing of thunder. He grasped his chest and looked around. “That sounded close.” He sat up and started to count down. “Three one thousand, four one thou-“ 

The thunder rumbled so loudly the walls actually shook. He quickly stood up and looked out the door. “Shit…” The sky was such a deep, dark, grey that it almost felt as if it were nighttime. “This… doesn’t look good.” The wind was slowly starting to pick up. This _really_ wasn’t good. He grabbed his jacket and went out to look at the creek. “Fuck me…” The ground was flooded and the water was running rapid plus, the stairs to the hill were slippery and slightly flooding. The safest route was to wait out this storm. “Come on…” He quickly ran back inside and started to pack his things. If anything he wanted to be prepared to run. He grabbed his phone and rolled his eyes. No service. Hopefully Seven wouldn’t come here, he didn’t want to endanger him. 

“What if he does? What if he gets in a car crash? Or what if slips and falls and drowns!?” With this in mind he frantically began to wander around the church looking for just one bar of service. He climbed up the alter and finally found one spike. “Come on… connect…” He put his call on speaker phone. 

“Zzz-ah-ahck?” The sound was awful. 

“Storm coming. Do not come here!” 

“Wh-ah-ah-t?” 

“STORM COMING! DO NOT COME HERE!” He repeated it ten times. 

Thunder crashed. Suddenly the whole room lit up from an array of lightning. “STAY SAFE!” He yelled over the noise. 

Thunder crashed.   
Lightning danced.  
Something exploded.

He flinched and nearly dropped his phone. Connection lost. 

Something was ripping away from the ground. 

“Crap…” 

The tree he had hid in. 

Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. The tree crashed through the roof and fell into the fire. The fire crackled and sparked as the rain poured in. The wind started to howl and in just a matter of minutes Zack was soaked to the bone. He looked around the church but it was no use, the place was ruined. He quickly climbed over the tree and grabbed his duffel bag. The ground wasn’t entirely safe but it was walkable. He just needed to take it slow. But with the lightning and the thunder he couldn’t help but feel a bit scared of getting struck. 

Though he slipped and fell once, he made it safely to the orphanage. The roof, unsurprisingly, was leaking but it didn’t quite bother him. He kept his mouth covered as he looked for the safest room to hang out in. He sat in the small utility closet and hugged his knees to his chest. “Am I going to die?” He mumbled. “Mmph I can do this, I’ve done it before I can do it again.” 

*~

“Dad! This is crazy! We’re going to die!!! We’re going to fucking die!!!” Zack hugged the railing of the boat as they were being tossed around by the waves.

“Zachary Dominic Noel Rein.” His father grabbed him by the shoulders. “We can do this. Come on now, get the rope for the sail. I’ll get us home! I promise!” 

Zack nodded slowly. His dad was so eerily calm, but he trusted him. “O-okay. Okay!” 

“Good! Now let’s move!” 

Zack shakily moved towards the sail and grabbed the rope. He couldn’t remember what he was doing, he just knew that every second he was close to flying out of the boat. The waves were unforgiving, the rain was torturous, and he was soaked with freezing ocean water. He just listened to his father and begged for them to make it out alive. It was the most terrifying experience he ever had. To this day he sometimes had nightmares of drowning in the water. It didn’t scare him off from enjoying the beach, but he sure as hell never went fishing again. 

*~

“Craziest vacation ever.” He chuckled and jumped as the thunder rumbled. He thought of how angry and red his mother was when they got home. She was between crying her eyes out and screaming her head off. She yelled at them in Spanish and Zack was very happy he had no idea what she was saying. And yet it was somehow worse. “What would she say now?” He scoffed. “I think they’d both yell at me.” He cringed at the memory of when he crashed his dads sports car… two days after he bought it. A mixture of German and Spanish screaming at him in every direction. But… the memories made him laugh. Though they were terrifying when they were angry, because of how loud they got, he loved his parents. Besides, he rarely got into that much trouble. 

He pulled out his phone and started writing a text to his parents group chat. 

 

> **Zoozy:** Hi mom, hi dad. It’s not been going well. I talked with Lloyd and things have been pretty bad. I did something really stupid I think. I dunno even why I did it in the first place. I just did. But, I think I’m starting to get better. I know, I only start to realize my mistakes after I’ve done something stupid. Sorry. But I’ve been having a hell of a time. I think I shouldn’t have come here. 

He stopped there. He didn’t really know what else to put except. 

 

> I love you guys :) 

And that was it. The message failed to send but he didn’t care. At least he told them. “I wish I called them more.” 

He leaned his head back and stretched out his legs. The only thing to do now was wait. He closed his eyes and hoped, when or if he next woke, the storm would have passed. 

**~* 5 pm; Drizzle; Moonlight Creek Water Level: Hazardous *~**

Zack slowly opened his eyes. His joints popped as he got up. He had only slept an hour, the thunder and winds kept him up, but it was something. Outside the storm had finally stopped though the cold temperature hadn’t subsided. He shivered as he pulled his jacket closer to his body. It was still cloudy but luckily it wasn’t as grey as it had been. He took in the damage. The entire upper floor of the orphanage was soaked through and there was no way he was going up there. The bottom floor wasn’t any better. The floors were slightly flooded and the walls were wet and smelling of mildew. Zack covered his mouth to keep from inhaling any strange pathogens before taking a peek at the church. It was partially destroyed. Only two stained glass windows stood intact, the rest gone. He sighed and walked through the mud. 

“Just get the last gem and go.” He kept reminding himself. He checked the angel statues, he checked around the building, he checked everywhere. Nothing. He couldn’t find anything. Frustrated he slammed the safe onto the counter and looked at the gems. Just what was inside of these that would open it anyways? Maybe it had some kind of divot or maybe there was some kind of magnet inside the gem? 

He groaned and went back to the statues. “ **“Lavender- Black” _Savior—_** {Referring to God or Jesus? Maybe herself?? Check angel statues again} / _Inside this place is the memories I hold. Granted, this wasn’t my home but the pain is apparent. Children with no loving parents, the pain they must have felt. I can_ ** _hear_** _the babies crying for attention when I’m_ ** _in the nursery_** _. I can_ ** _feel_** _{touch}_ _the loneliness when I walk through the_ ** _play ground_** _. I_ ** _look_** _{see} around the_ ** _cafeteria_** _and the children try to tell me how lonely they are._ ** _I am their savior_** _{??? where is this???}. They are my children {This bitch be crazy}. If I could I would take them_ ** _all to the paradise they deserve_** _{Did she kill them!?!?!}. I can_ ** _save_** _them, I can be the mother they deserve {Lord help us}. No longer will they be_ ** _tainted_** _by the wishes of one day finding a “loving” family.”_ He put his notes down.Nothing was connected to paradise. 

“Oh dammit.” That’s right. Hibiscus had the color white. But on the safe there wasn’t a color for white. Maybe savior and paradise referred to the same place. “Damn!” What if that Savior woman had the last two on her? He’d never be able to open it. 

Before he gave up entirely he decided to give everything one last once over. He looked for painting and books, for cervices and anything randomly hidden. He was only coming up empty. He felt too tired and too hungry to even care anymore. This whole ordeal had been pointless. He found everything except the last two gems. 

Feeling exhausted and defeated Zack sat down on the steps that led out of this hell. He looked through his phone, still no service. He wondered if the trains were even running. Probably not, but he couldn’t stand to be here much longer. The walk to town wasn’t going to be safe but he didn’t have much of a choice. If he figured out anything he’d come back, but with help. Maybe Seven would go with him. 

 

     Zack carefully treaded his way down the stairs. He held tightly onto the railing, the feeling of the wet metal reminding him of being in that storm in the middle of the ocean. Once he finally reached the bottom he was met with a river of water. It was rapid and flowing down towards a storm gutter. So much for getting a cab or taking the bus. 

He refused to stop here. He shoved his jean pants into his hiking boots, tightened the strap on his duffle bag close to his chest, and pulled his hoodie straps. The umbrella was totally useless but he could use it to push away any debris. The train station was to his left, to his right was a bus stop and the town. Going left meant moving with the stream while going right moved against it. Right it was. 

**~* 7 pm; Drizzle; Moonlight Creek Water Level: Warning*~**

It was a long, draining, trek; he wasn’t even sure how many miles he had walked. At some point the water had finally ebbed enough for him to give his feet a break. He was pruning and every step he had been taking caused a rather loud squelching noise. It was like his feet were nothing but a conglomerate of a meaty mush. 

Zack collapsed on the side of the road and took a breath. He surely had been walking for three miles maybe more. After his whole adventure he just wanted to have a hot shower and a nice warm meal. But, with the lack of money, he would have to settle for something on the cheap. Although, he refused to sleep in a motel. He’d probably just sleep on the bus bench and wait until the water was finally low enough for the train to come by. 

He looked at his phone as he kicked off his shoes and peeled his socks off. “Ugh…” He hunched over. 

55 Missed Calls 

30 New Voicemails 

100 New Messages 

30 of those missed calls came from Seven, fifteen came from Jumin, and ten came from his mother. Most of the voicemails were from his mother. Only five were from Seven who was talking way to fast for him to even comprehend what he was saying. He listened to the voicemails from his mother who pleaded and begged for him to call her back.

Feeling heartbroken from her voice, he sent a quick “I’m okay call in ten minutes” text to Seven and then called his mother. Even though he said to **call in ten minutes** , Seven called immediately. He felt bad but he had to calm his mothers heart before he did Seven’s. 

“Zachary Dominic Noel Rein!!” His mother screeched. “What the hell were you thinking you idiot!?” She was livid.

“Hello to you too ma.”

“Don’t take that tone with me!” 

“Is that Zack?” His father called out. “Give me the phone.” After a bit of shuffling, “You damn boy! You had us worried sick!” 

“Geez, what’s with the insults?” 

“YOU HAD US-“ 

“Okay okay!” He sighed. “I’m sorry! I was just tired.” 

“What did you do mijo?!” He must have been on speaker phone as his mothers voice was still making his ears ring. 

“Nothing. I didn’t do anything bad.” 

“Drugs!? Drinking!?” His father yelled at him. 

“No! I didn’t do anything.” Zack rolled his eyes. “Stop it. As I said I talked to Lloyd and it got me thinking.” 

“Ah…” His mother sighed. “Okay. Okay good. Honey, should we cancel our flight?” 

Zack groaned. “Don’t tell me…” 

“Well, we wanted to make sure you were okay.” His father snapped. 

“Heh… I… uh… I appreciate it. But don’t worry. I’m fine.” 

“Urgh why did you have to go all the way over there? Eh?! Why didn’t you just go on a trip with us!?” His mother sounded like she was still crying. 

“Ma, I’m sorry. I just… I think maybe I really needed this. Maybe.” 

“You don’t even know? You’ve been there for so long now!” 

“Ma!” Zack was getting irritated. “I don’t know yet.” 

“Don’t get that tone with your mother Zachary Noel!” 

“Enough. He’s safe and that’s all that matters. I won’t have anymore of this arguing with your stupid son.” Zack rolled his eyes at that. His mom was obviously still pissed. "Oh, you always do this Zoozy. You are so indecisive.” She sighed. “ZooZoo it’s okay to be unsure, but you’ll eventually have to come to your _own_ decisions. Your _own_ conclusions.” 

“I… I do that.” 

His father grumbled something. “Zachary Dominic Noel, don’t kid yourself.” Dad meant business when he used all his middle names. It was a hell of a mouthful but if his parents were taking the time to say his whole name, then they were probably going to give him an earful. 

He didn’t call to get lectured. “Okay… so I’m indecisive.” 

“Zoozoo when you come home I want us all to have a long talk.” 

“Okay…” 

“And I don’t wanna hear any excuses.” His father added. 

“ _Okay_.” 

“Zachary Noe-“ 

“Okay! I know… I… I’m sorry.” 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” His mother said softly. “As long as you are safe and as long as you are smiling and happy then that’s all that we want.” 

“How’s your money Noel?” 

“It’s good.” He lied. 

“We can wire you some money.” 

“I’m doing really good.” He bit the bottom of his lip. 

“You sure ZooZoo? Do you want us to send you a care package? How about some cookies? You want some cookies?” 

Zack cracked a smile. “I’m okay ma, I work at a bakery.” 

“Oh that’s right. Pure Love or something right?” 

“Pure Joy. Why don’t you email me some of grams recipes.” 

His father perked up suddenly. “I shall fish out the cake recipes.” 

“And I’ll find the bread recipes.” 

Zack felt a little better. Even though he got his ear chewed off he was happy he called. They talked for a good five minutes, mostly reassuring them that he was okay, but his father eventually had to go so he could mow the lawn and his mother needed to get to work. It was short and sweet and that’s how Zack preferred it when he talked with his parents. He loved them, but they could be exhausting. He promised he’d call when he was less busy to tell his mother what he had been up to, although he was going to omit a lot of things. 

Now that _that_ was taken care of he dialed Seven’s number. 

“Zachary Noel Dominic Rein!” 

_Deja vu._ “What the heck?” He chuckled. 

“Don’t laugh! I was dying here!!” 

“O-okay sorry.” 

“I get this frantic call with you screaming and I… god! And the roads are all screwed up!” 

“…I told you don’t come.” 

“Do you think that would _stop me!?_ ” Seven’s voice cracked. 

“Sorry! I just… I called because I didn’t want you to get hurt! What if you tried to find me and the rain was all awful and you tripped and fell and cracked your head open and died!?” 

“What if _you_ had tripped and fell and cracked your head open and died!? I couldn’t just sit around twiddling my thumbs!” 

“W-well… I was okay…” 

“The call ended with some loud explosion!!! What did you expect me to do!?” 

“I…” He took a breath to calm down. “Where are you now?” 

“Two hours away. Dammit! I knew I should’ve left to there the moment you told me you were even there in the first place!” Seven was panting in pure frustration. It even sounded as if he was crying. 

“Seven. Please calm down.” 

“Calm down!?” Seven slammed his horn. “You don’t even know the half of it!! What if something happened!! My god! I was worried sick!!! This is… ugh!! I can’t believe you!! Telling me to CALM DOWN!? 

“Yes! Calm down!” Zack yelled back in frustration. “I… I messed up. Okay? I’m sorry. But I’m not there anymore. I’m heading for the town.” 

“What? You left?” 

“Yes. The moment it was safe too.” He felt bad for lying to him as well. 

“Oh… oh good.” Seven breathed out slowly. “Good… Then… then let me just take a moment to collect myself.” 

He felt bad for making Seven worry so much. “You should head on home.” 

“What? No way. I’m going to pick you up and-“ 

“I have my train ticket already set. I’m going to stay in town and then I get on the train at 8 tomorrow morning.” 

“I can be there in two hours.” 

“I don’t want to burden you.” 

“No offense Zack, but this has been the worst day ever. Picking you up is what I want to do. And aren’t I still the leader here?” 

“Yes…” 

“Then, you’re going to wait for me and then I’m picking you up and taking you back to my place. Your place is too far and I have a shit ton of things to do.” 

“Y-yes.” That only made him feel worse. 

“There’s a gas station there called Sunflower Oil. Meet me there. I’ll text you when I’m close.” 

“Yes.” 

After a half hearted goodbye from the two of them, Zack slowly stood up and kept walking. Thank god Seven didn’t know how long it was going to take him to get there. Google Maps said Sunflower oil was approximately an hour and a half away. Though the idea of it made his legs ache, he didn’t want to burden Seven any more than he already had. All of this was just a complete waste of Seven’s time. 

**~* 9 pm: Still Night: Temperature 42 F *~**

Zack looked up once he saw a red sports car drive up to a gas pump. His stomach dropped. Even though the circumstances were strained, he still felt self-conscious on meeting Seven. He stood up slowly, his legs were jelly by now, and just stood there. He kept fiddling with his ring, which he had put back on, and nervously shifted his feet. The moment he saw the bright red hair and unmistakable yellow eyes (which would stand out in any crowd) he looked away. This whole thing felt weird. 

He only looked back when he heard footsteps approach him. 

Seven was taller than he thought. In a way, he looked almost delicate. His features were too smooth that it almost annoyed Zack. His face almost seemed unreadable but all his tells lied in his eyes. Those eyes, they were so… sad. “You look like a drowned rat.” The redhead slightly smirked. 

“Do you know how many men have used that line on me tonight?” He shook his head annoyed. 

“Huh?… oh…” Seven couldn’t fight the smile. “Didn’t think about that. Having some random stranger hang around outside with a duffel bag? Recipe for shady people.” 

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Zack mumbled. He couldn’t meet his eyes. “I… can change.” He eyed the car. 

“It’s fine. I don’t really care.” Seven shoved his hands into his pockets. “Aren’t you cold?” 

“Yes. Very.” 

“Well then, why are we just standing here gawking at each other? Come on.” He ushered Zack into his car. “I just need to get gas and I’m also hungry. Do you want anything?” 

_Yes, I’m starving._ “No thank you.” He smiled. He still couldn’t meet his gaze. It wasn’t a love at first sight kind of thing, he was just embarrassed about a first meeting as well as the fact that he was even in this situation in the first place. He held his bag closely and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He felt pathetic. 

He had burdened Seven, nearly put Seven’s life in danger, put his _own_ life in danger, wasted both of their time, and he didn’t even accomplish anything. Frustrated, he buried his face into his bag and yelled out. The thing that bothered him the most was that he still had the ring. He was planning on throwing it out, maybe into the creek, but during the whole ordeal he just couldn’t do it. Touching it still brought him comfort. 

The door opened. “What’s wrong?” Seven sat down and handed him a Dr. Pepper. 

“Nothing…” He mumbled and gave a nod of thanks. He nearly drank it in one gulp, no matter how much it burned his throat. “Sorry you had-“ 

Seven shoved a chip into the brunette’s mouth. “Stop saying sorry.” He smiled, he had such a goofy but cute smile. “I’m just glad you’re here and you’re safe.” 

Zack nodded and looked down at his ring. He could tell he was eating HBC. The thought of it made him smile. “I’m glad… you’re the leader.” He squeezed his bag. 

“Me too! Look at you. You look awful.” He shook his head as he started the car. “I’m going to lend you some of my clothes… but they might be too tall for you.” 

Zack grumbled under his breath. 

“Haha! There’s nothing wrong with being so miniature.” 

“I’m not miniature! You’re not even that tall!” 

“I’m 175cm tall. You remind me of a chihuahua.” 

“Hey!” 

“Arf arf!” Seven pinched his cheek. 

“Grrr!” He didn’t mean to actually growl. He blushed in embarrassment but kept his glare. 

“Hahaha!” 

Zack cracked a smile. 

“There we go. Now you’re really smiling.” Seven smiled back. _Oh. That’s a really sweet face… Wow…_

Zack looked away. “Well… today has been stressful.” 

“I’ll say.” 

“And I… I still feel ba-“

Seven pinched Zack’s nose. “I’m not sad or angry or anything. Okay? I do… I do like you alright?” 

Zack nodded. “Buht.” He gently pushed Seven’s hand away. “But, you’re not just saying that. Right?” 

“You’re a bit insecure eh? I promise you I’m not.” 

Zack frowned. “It’s… yeah I do get insecure. But I mean, I just… I feel so awful.” 

Seven softly sighed. He ruffled Zack’s hair, which must have been gross considering all the activity he had been doing. “You shouldn’t. I mean, we totally just threw you into this whole thing. We didn’t even try to meet you. We just said okay you’re in, now trust us.” Seven shook his head. “That was really poor planning on our part.” 

Zack slightly laughed. “Poor planning? That doesn’t bode well considering we’re throwing a party.” 

“Heh, no joke.” They fell silent as Seven hit the road. Some kind of pop music was softly playing from the radio, considering it was nighttime most of the songs were either a love song, a break-up song, or TGIF song. Seven loosened his grip on the steering wheel. “Why… why did you trust me?” 

Zack shook his head. “I can’t explain it well. I just, I thought you’d be the right choice. I know I called you an errand boy but… I mean…” He sighed. “I just don’t know. I had been considering it for a while and my gut told me to go with you.” 

“That’s all?” 

“…Yeah. And… I dunno. When we talked I just didn’t get as angry as I did with V. I had fun with you so much that I would sometimes forget my confusion and frustration. Talking with you, with all of them, I’d just… It was… like having real friends again.” 

“Again?” 

“I’m…” He looked at the road and tightened his lips into a thin line, “I’m not an easy person to get along with. I try so _damn_ hard to get people to like me that I’m off putting. I want to be seen as reliable and cool and mature… and it just makes me seem desperate. When I was with Lloyd I at first I felt so happy. I didn’t have to try hard because we were real with each other. I think that slowly died out though, and soon we were trying to be someone we weren’t. Lloyd, he said that my expectations for him were too high and that drove him away. But… but Lloyd’s were just as high.” He rubbed his fingers over his ring. “He wanted someone fun and energetic. He wanted someone real and kind… I just… I tried, I think. But I’m so bad at lying that he saw right through me and would get irritated. I can’t even believe that I didn’t notice how painful some nights were. When I talked with you all, I was just at my lowest point that I didn’t really care what you all thought. I just wanted something to do. So… I guess I just didn’t care enough to please you all that I acted like myself. I don’t even know what _myself_ is. I’m 23 and I have no earthly clue.” 

“Neither do I. I just… work and work and work. Messing with you all is fun but…” Seven trailed off. “So… what’s with the ring?”

“Engagement ring.” 

“Oh.” 

“Yeah.” Zack laughed. “I was going to toss it but I just can’t seem to part with it.” 

“You must’ve really loved him.” 

“I think so.” He shrugged. “I think I was scared.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “Scared of being alone.” 

“Huh?” 

“I think… I think I knew deep _deep_ down that we weren’t exactly meant for each other. We’re both so chaotic and we both act based on our feelings. As you can see,” he picked at his clothes, “I don’t think things through too well. I mean, I can picture every worst case scenario but when it comes to _my_ safety I act rashly.” He leaned back. “But… I think we were both afraid of never— no, I can’t speak for him. I think maybe he really did love me, and I may have loved him too, I know I did. I just… when he proposed I felt this small seed of dread. I got really scared. If I say yes then I’ll never be alone ever again, I remember thinking that in the back of my mind. I… I…” He teared up. “I was so scared of being alone.” _Of dying alone._

Seven looked over at him before looking back at the road. He was trying so hard to find the right words but they weren’t coming. “We’re all scared of being alone.” 

“I know…” 

“But maybe now… you can finally…” He clicked his tongue. “I suck at this.” 

Zack smiled. “Don’t worry. I do to. And plus, you’ve already done so much for me.” He peered at his face and smiled. “Just listening is nice too.” He grinned. “I don’t mind listening to you either, you know.” 

Seven glanced at him. “I’ve got nothing to say. Not really.” 

Zack looked out the passenger window. “Okay, but I’m willing to listen.” He patted Seven’s shoulder. “Kay?” 

“…Kay.” 

**~* Two Hours Away from Seven’s House *~**

“You’ve driven so much. How much further away?” Zack looked around at the dark roads. 

“Two more hours.” 

“That long? Let me take over.” He peered at his face. 

Seven tensed. 

“I won’t crash…” Zack glared. “Seven, I can drive.” 

“You… crashed your dad’s sports car.” 

“Where did— of course. I was young!” 

“You still _are_ young! My precious baby…” He tenderly rubbed the wheel. 

Zack arched a brow. “Um… Don’t make me jealous?” He teased. 

“……..AGH! Fine! Let’s switch. But please… be gentle.” Reluctantly he pulled over. “Okay… I can do this, I can let him drive. I can do this.” 

“Seven. Just get out of the car.” 

“Okay… heehooheehooheehoo.” 

Zack rolled his eyes as the two switched sides. Thank god, this was American brand. So he at least knew how to drive this, probably. He adjusted the seat, Seven just _had_ to poke fun at that, and carefully drove off. “This is nice.” 

“Yes. I know. Do NOT crash it.” 

“Shut up.” He adjusted the music. “I’m tired of this love song.” 

“It’s a BTS song.” 

“Thank god no one but you heard that or else I’d have been mauled.” He put on the rock station. “Ooo~ AC/DC.” 

“ZooZoo I’m about to have a heart attack here. Highway To Hell is _not_ helping.” 

“Oh hush up. I’m doing just fine.” He changed to another rock station. 

“AHHH!” 

Zack flinched. “WHAT!?” 

“Did you check your mirrors!?” 

Zack punched Seven’s arms. “Shut up! You scared me dammit!” 

“W-well!” Seven rubbed his arm. “I was worried.” 

“You screamed you ass! I almost swerved!!” The two fell silent and then started laughing. “God. You scared the living hell out of me.” 

“Sorry.” Seven wiped his tears. “That was stupid of me.” 

“And just FYI, I did check my mirrors.” 

Seven breathed out. “Okay… Okay…” He kept rubbing his hands on his pant legs. 

“Seven, calm down.” 

“If you can see me you’re not looking at the road hard enough.” 

“Seven. Calm. Down.” He rubbed his hands on the wheel to calm his own nerves. “So, you like cars. Do you like working on them?” 

“No, not really. Have you ever worked on those plastic models?” 

Zack shook his head. AC/DC Thunder was playing. Both were starting to tap their legs to the music. 

“Can… Can I tell you about it?” 

“Sure.” 

He was not prepared. Seven spoke so fast he didn’t even know what he was saying half the time. His brain couldn’t keep up with the slang and technical terms. But, seeing someone passionately talk about their hobby made him grin. Seven was so excited, like a little kid, that he couldn’t help but feel giddy along with him. Even if he literally could not understand him with the sudden language barrier. He was so animated all of a sudden, like the Seven in the chatrooms. So, Zack thought, it wasn’t totally an act. He wasn’t surprised. No one can be this happy all the time. It was just, for some reason, it didn’t seem like Seven even _had_ down days. He was just this hard working goofball. But after today, he felt like he had learned a lot about him. 

 

Eventually they started reaching the last stretch of the drive. Seven had taken over and asked Zack to put on a blindfold. Apparently his house was top secret. It was a little weird but he did it anyways. He kept quiet as they drove, occasionally he would cough but other than that the two did not speak a word. Zack listened to the music and flexed his fingers. He still felt cold. He felt grimy. He felt exhausted. He kept drifting in and out of sleep. Each time he started dozing he woke himself up by humming. It was for the best, his dreams were not pleasant. He could hear that man named Ray’s cried of pain echoing inside of him. 

“We’re here. I’m going to lead you to the main room.” 

“Okay.” He slipped his duffle bags strap over his head and dragged his fingers down to find the seatbelt. 

Seven opened the passenger door and took his hand.“Watch your head.” He led him towards some stairs. “Here’s the railing.” 

Zack blindly reached out and carefully took each step. “This is freaking me out.” 

“I’m right here.” 

He just sighed at that. Eventually they reached a door and Zack was allowed to take off the blindfold. He was met with bright red walls and the messiest room he had ever seen. “…” 

“Okay, you can shower over there. And I’ll fish out some clothing.” 

Zack’s eyes darted around. Trash. This room was covered in trash. “…” He stepped forward only to step on a half empty bag of chips. 

“Oh, whoops. Sorry. Anyways, go ahead.” 

Zack nodded stiffly. He put his bag down carefully and slipped off his socks and shoes (as if it mattered, the room was disgusting). “Didn’t…erm…didn’t you have a maid?” 

“Yeah but she’s not been here in quite some time.” 

_I can tell._ “Okay.” He made his way through the pile of clothing and trash and action figures until he finally reached the bathroom. Thank god it was clean in here. “The… the door’s glass.” 

“I won’t look.” 

“Tsk.” Zack carefully took off his clothing and folded them up. He looked at his body andlightly gasped. He looked worse than when he got bruised up from Pure Joy. 

“Oh yeah, that looks bad.” 

“You said you wouldn’t look.” Zack hissed through his teeth as he touched a bruise. “It looks really bad…” 

“It does. Is that when you fell?” Seven was speaking on the other side of the door. 

“I think so. This must be from when I kept falling through the floor boards.” He gestured to his legs which were all cut up. “And this…” his arms, "geez, from the tree that fell.” 

“What tree?” 

“Oh. Uhm, nothing.” 

Seven groaned. “You gotta be kidding me, you were in _that_ much danger!?” 

“I’m here now aren’t I?” He turned away and put on the shower. “It’s going to be fine.” 

Seven just shook his head and went back into the trash pile he called home. Zack couldn’t stand it, he’d have to clean. 

For now, he enjoyed the hot shower. The water was practically mud as he cleaned off his skin. He looked at the tiny cuts in his hands, he gently touched the nicks on his legs, and he flinched as the water ran down his back. Battle scars. A fruitless battle at that.

He changed inside the bathroom, as the glass door had fogged up, and ran his fingers through his curls. He made sure no dirt clung to his fingers as he looked around his neck to make sure everything was okay. There were so many bugs there he had to do a thorough check. 

Once he was satisfied he exited the room to see Seven working at his desk. He had so many monitors. A hackers life he guessed. Zack looked around for a trash bin and quietly began cleaning up. He put all the action figures on the dining table and tossed the clothes into what he hoped was a laundry pile. Seven didn’t even glance at him he was so absorbed in whatever he was doing. Zack grabbed a vacuum and ran it through quickly. His body begged for sleep but he refused to sleep in something like this. He had enough of dirty areas. 

It took him a good twenty minutes but he got is as clean as it would get. He looked around for a couch but the only thing was just the bed. He took one pillow and found a spot on the floor that would do just fine. 

“What are you doing?” He nearly jumped when Seven suddenly spoke. 

“Sleeping?” 

“On the floor?” He was looking at him as he typed. 

“Well… yeah?” 

“Just sleep on the bed.” 

Zack looked at it. “…Is it clean?” 

Seven laughed. “Of course it is. Why do you ask?” 

_Do you not have eyes you slob???_ “No reason. Well… if you’re not weirded out by it.” 

“I’m not. Go ahead.” 

Zack sat down and carefully inspected the bed for HBC crumbs. Clean. Surprisingly. He plugged in his phone and laid down with a loud sigh of satisfaction. He could fall asleep right there. He texted his parents goodnight and looked through his messages. 

Oh right! Jumin! He had nearly forgotten. He opened a private chat and sent him a smiley face. He was so tired he couldn’t be bothered to write more. 

Of course, that wasn’t going to be enough for the CEO. He got a call. “Zack? Where are you?” 

“Safe.” He yawned. “Sorry about that.” 

“It’s… it’s fine. Thank God I was about to send out a search party.” 

“Sorry.” Even though he was worried, Jumin’s voice still made him drift to sleep. It was just too calming. “I got…tied up.” He mumbled. All the events of the last two days was catching up with him. Like a punch to the gut he was out like a light. He could hear Jumin talking but he didn’t know what he was saying. Finally, he could just put this hellish day behind him. 

**_You worthless shit. You just can’t stop being a major fuck up. What’s next? You gonna finally get someone killed by your actions?_ **

If only that voice inside his head would just shut up already. 

**~* Unknown Location *~**

Has he solved it yet? Please…please Angel. Help me. 

The unknown man known as Ray bit his nails harshly. The wound made by savior on his hand had opened up and tainted his clothing with fresh blood, but he didn’t care, he just need that angel. Just that angel. 

He’d get that angel. 

He’d do anything to capture an angel. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bazinga. This one was a doozy. Holy balls. 
> 
> Also tada first meeting. Bet you weren't expecting THAT lololol I sure as hell wasn't. I remember a comment about a love triangle and I wasn't going to do it but lol whoops guess I am. This is all relevant and not just some contrived plot okay? I have this thing that I am SO excited to show you all. I hope it goes well. 
> 
> Anyways, I'll update Day 7 soon and then I think I'll do a little All Out Q&A for funsies. I'll answer that after I get back from my much needed vacation. Yayyyy vacation 
> 
> **If you see Zack's name in the chat randomly not be bolded, I don't know why that keeps happening. I've tried to fix it but no dice. So sorry


	12. Day 7: Drowning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next two updates on this story will be: Day 8 and a Q:A Send in your questions. You can ask me about characters or ask characters things (I think those are fun)

It was five in the morning when Zack woke up from a nightmare. He dreamt he was back at Sunlight Hill, he was stuck inside the church and Savior was screaming at the top of her lungs. Just as Zack was about to open the safe the tree came crashing in and stabbed him right in the throat. Water and blood mixed in his lungs and he was starting to drown. When it felt like he was about to die he woke up gasping. He had been choking himself with his own hand. 

“God…” He was sweating so much that he had soaked through his shirt. He looked around and saw Seven passed out at his desk, only the soft snores coming from him indicated he was still alive. 

Zack shook as he went to the bathroom and washed his face. He turned on the lights and looked at his neck. “Damn.” A deep, red, hand mark was imprinted around his throat. “What the hell…?” He dragged his fingers down his throat. He could almost feel the sharp piece of wood cutting through his flesh and drowning him in his own blood. 

He pulled off the shirt and touched his skin. He was a mixture of hot and cold, he felt exhausted and was dying for a drink of water. Quietly, he made his way towards the kitchen and peeked inside the fridge. It was practically filled to the brim with Dr. Pepper. He dug around and found some eggs and almost spoiled milk. Curious, he looked around the cabinets and found all the boxes of HBC but deep in the back of a cupboard he found some flour and sugar. 

“Pancakes… I could make him pancakes.” It wouldn’t make up for anything but at least Seven could get a decent meal. And, cooking would keep him awake. 

He tiptoed up to Seven and put a blanket over his shoulders before moving back to the kitchen. He’d have to be seriously quiet if he wanted to do this. 

Alright then, agent Zachary is on the case, he thought to himself as he borrowed another shirt. Operation Pancakes is a go. 

It took some maneuvering and serious digging but he managed to find most of the ingredients he needed. Luckily for him, he was good at improvising. He measured and mixed the batter quietly. He wished he could doctor it up better, but this was all he had. And, seeing as how secretive Seven was on the location of his house, he didn’t feel right on leaving to go to the store. 

He turned on the stove and tensed as the pancake batter sizzled against his prepped pan. “Shhh…” He told the food. “Stop making noise.” He whispered. He glanced back at Seven’s figure. Still asleep. Good. 

 

It didn’t take him too long before the pancakes were fully done. Seven liked Elizabeth right? Maybe he could make a kind of white frosting? He looked into the fridge again. It’d be hard but he’d be able to make it.

It was **way** harder than he thought. Frustrating didn’t even begin to describe this recipe. But, by pure willpower and a lot of adjusting, he managed to thicken the frosting and cut the pancakes into cat shapes. He smiled, he was really getting the hang of this cake decorating. 

He opened the RFA chat and searched for a picture of Fuzz Butt and started to shape the frosting in a way to make it look like fluffy fur. Now… what about the eyes? He didn’t have blueberries or food coloring. “Mmm…” He looked around some more. Oh jelly! He opened it and nearly gagged. Never mind. He tossed that into a plastic bag. Well, he had nothing. Too bad. None of the food around would work. 

Now, he needed to add a protein for Seven. After making some room in the fridge he put his pan-cats inside and opened the freezer. Low and behold. Bacon. He actually had bacon in here. Was it freezer burned? No! It was still good. 

“Thank god.” He whispered. Since it was barely 6 am, he still had some time to allow it to defrost. Seven would probably wake up if he started frying bacon so he’d just wait until then. Zack went back to the bed and closed his eyes. No. He just couldn’t sleep. Every chance of dozing off only reflected that dream. He rolled to his side and rubbed his neck. 

_Why… why was I choking myself?_

He had never done anything like that before. He had messed up nightmares but he never physically hurt himself in the real world. Feeling a bit worried, he buried himself under the covers and opened the chat. 

> **ZEN:** Working out is just so refreshing. 

ZEN selfies away! 

> **Zack:** Hey good lookin
> 
> **ZEN:** Hey Zack! What’s up? 
> 
> **Zack:** Just relaxing
> 
> **ZEN:** Good! You’re up early by the way
> 
> **Zack:** You too
> 
> **ZEN:** Well I always get up early to go jogging and then I hit the gym
> 
> **Zack:** Stop  
>  **Zack:** You’re making me feel bad
> 
> **ZEN:** Aww don’t worry, I’m sure you’re super handsome. 
> 
> **Zack:** Hey, am I allowed to make RFA requests? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Sure! I don’t see why not
> 
> **Zack:** Why don’t we just all meet up? And have a face-to-face meeting?
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh! Good idea. We should do that! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, that’d probably make more sense then what we’ve been doing
> 
> **ZEN:** Haha no kidding, why didn’t we think about that? 
> 
> **Zack:** I dunno, but it makes sense right?
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah totally. Okay! We’d have to do it really soon. Where should we meet? 
> 
> **Zack:** Where it’s convenient for everyone. 
> 
> **ZEN:** You’re right. If you’re not on I’ll talk with everyone. 
> 
> **Zack:** Thanks. 
> 
> **ZEN:** So, how’ve you been holding up? 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m okay 
> 
> **ZEN:** I saw what you said to Jaehee  
>  **ZEN:** I do wish she took better care of herself  
>  **ZEN:** But  
>  **ZEN:** Well I don’t know.   
>  **ZEN:** I work myself to the bone too
> 
> **Zack:** But you love your job
> 
> **ZEN:** Well that’s true  
>  **ZEN:** We’re all workaholics on here.   
>  **ZEN:** Minus Yoosung 
> 
> **Zack:** ha  
>  **Zack:** Well he’s just figuring things out 
> 
> **ZEN:** He won’t find it on that dumb game. 
> 
> **Zack:** As long as he’s keeping up his grades he can enjoy his games. 
> 
> **ZEN:** He’s not
> 
> **Zack:** Okay yea, he needs to set his priorities straight. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Exactly.   
>  **ZEN:** That boy. I swear. He’ll never get a girlfriend that way
> 
> **Zack:** Says the guy who doesn’t have a girlfriend 
> 
> **ZEN:** T_T You’re right… 
> 
> **Zack:** You two should team up. The Beast and The Pup
> 
> **ZEN:** Hmm… that could make a deadly combo  
>  **ZEN:** I could give Yoosung a much needed makeover   
>  **ZEN:** I can get rid of that stupid purple hoodie  
>  **ZEN:** Put him in something better  
>  **ZEN:** Yeah… Yeah I can see it
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **has entered the chatroom**
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Don’t diss my sweater. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Heya LOLOL fanatic. What are you doing up so early?
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Early?   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What time is it?
> 
> **Zack:** Uh oh spahdoodle oh’s
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Oh…   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Uh  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** OMG!!! 
> 
> **Zack:** Let me guess  
>  **Zack:** Gamer boy played games til just now, has to go to school today, has an exam, and is totally screwed 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** T_T   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Spot on…
> 
> **ZEN:** Tsk tsk tsk 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Oh my gosh….   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I’m so dead  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** 。゜゜ (´ Ｏ `)  ゜゜。 _  
> _ **Yoosung** **☆** **:** 。゜゜ (´ Ｏ `)  ゜゜。 _  
> _ **Yoosung** **☆** **:** 。゜゜ (´ Ｏ `)  ゜゜。
> 
> **Zack:** What subject? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Literature… Classic British…boring…buh…
> 
> **Zack:** What story? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Sir… something and the something knight 
> 
> **Zack:** Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Yes! That one! 
> 
> **Zack:** Sir Gawain is a chivalrous knight for King Arthur. One night, during a New Years feast, a strange green knight comes in. Everything he wears and owns is green. His skin, his clothing, his hair. He’s like a green giant. He comes up and says if the knights are as great as they say then they will take him up on a challenge. He actually challenges King Arthur first. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yoosung, take notes 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Yes!

Zack went on telling him every detail of the story. 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** thank you thank you thank you!!! Thank you!!
> 
> **Zack:** No problem.   
>  **Zack:** I like those stories. It’s why I majored in English 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Life saver!!! I bow to you!!! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Better memorize that now
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I know **  
> Yoosung** **☆** **:** I’m just so tired. I’m going to nap soon
> 
> **ZEN:** Really -_-
> 
> **Zack:** My work comes with a price
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Oh **  
> Yoosung** **☆** **:** What do you want? 
> 
> **Zack:** Pass the test. **  
> Zack:** If you don’t I’ll tell Seven to hack the LOLOL server and make it shut down for two weeks
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You wouldn’t. 
> 
> **Zack:** I would.
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You monster 
> 
> **Zack:** Yup
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** T_T **  
> Yoosung** **☆** **:** 。゜゜ (´ Ｏ `)  ゜゜。   
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** 。゜゜ (´ Ｏ `)  ゜゜。 **  
> Yoosung** **☆** **:** 。゜゜ (´ Ｏ `)  ゜゜。
> 
> **Zen:** Damn Yoosung. You better get to studying. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You…you seriously
> 
> **Zack:** Yup
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** O **  
> Yoosung** **☆** **:** Okay

There was a stir. He sat up and looked over at Seven. 

> **ZEN:** Hahahaha! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** He… could he actually do it? 
> 
> **Zack:** You bet. 

Seven slowly sat up. He looked confused as to why a blanket was on him. Zack didn’t want to startle him so he just kept texting. Seven slumped towards the bathroom, ignoring Zack. Thank goodness the toilet was in a separate area from the glass door.

> **ZEN:** That trust fund jerk kept posting pictures of the cat cake last night.   
>  **ZEN:** He would. Not. Stop
> 
> **Zack:** I’m glad he liked it
> 
> **ZEN:** He likes it too much… 
> 
> **Zack** : I’m still going to make him another one
> 
> **ZEN:** Does he really deserve it?   
>  **ZEN:** Make us some
> 
> **Zack:** What kind do you like? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Sugar cookies for me! 
> 
> **ZEN:** I love mousse 
> 
> **Zack:** your wish is my command. 

Seven walked out and slummed onto the bed. 

“You okay?” Zack whispered. 

“Mmm my shoulders hurt.” He rubbed his face. “I should _not_ have slept like like.” He sat up and rolled his neck. 

“I… can give you a massage.” 

“Really? You know how?” 

“If you don’t mind. Take off your jacket, too much clothing is really annoying.” 

“Should I take off my shirt too~” 

“Shut up.” Zack smirked. He put his hands on his neck. Seven sunk into his touch so quickly that Zack could only describe it as touched-starve. He felt the same way as well. This contact made him nervous. _Gosh, he’s so cold. Is he okay?_ “You’ve got a lot of knots.” 

“Comes with the job.” He yawned. 

He’d just keep quiet as he did this so as to let the poor hacker enjoy it. If only there was a third person here to massage out _his_ knots. His body just ached terribly. He put his elbow to Seven’s shoulder and held back a sigh. His arms were already starting to ache. But Seven deserved this so he’d deal with it. 

After what felt like an eternity, “Wow… my shoulders feel loose for once.” 

“Yeah, they were seriously stiff.” 

Seven rolled his neck. “Holy! I feel great!” 

“Good. You gonna be busy?” 

“I’m just going to look over some things.” 

“Okay, then I’m gonna make the bacon.” 

“I have bacon?” 

“Yeah.” Zack smiled. “Just… relax or whatever, I’ll let you know when I’m done.” 

Seven grinned. “What did I do to deserve such an awesome morning!?” 

“It’s the least I can do.” Although he didn’t want to move, he walked over to the kitchen and fried up the pan. 

“Where’s your apron?” 

“You don’t have one.” 

“…yeah… dammit.” Seven sighed and went back to his desk. 

Zack smirked. Something about this felt so natural. He really missed this. This feeling of connection and happiness. Did Seven feel happy? Would Jumin feel happy when he cooked for him? 

 

“Okay, come have breakfast. A _proper_ breakfast.” 

“I’m actually excited.” Seven happily sat down as Zack served him. “Oh my god. Is this Elly!?” 

“Yeah, sorry, I couldn’t do the- ooof!” Seven had suddenly hugged him by the waist. “Y-you okay?” 

“Sorry…” He didn’t let go. “I just… I just… I just…” 

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to.” He lightly hugged him back, although it was hard in this position. “Don’t you worry.” 

“Yeah…” He sniffed. “Yeah. Let’s just eat.” 

“Have as much as you want.” Zack patted his shoulder before sitting across form him. 

Seven shoveled the food so fast into his mouth that it was actually amazing. And gross. 

“Slow down.” He chuckled. “Chew your food.” 

“Ifs sho good.” 

“Thanks, but slow down.” He took a bite. Yeah, actually it was good. He had made the frosting in a way that it would have a vanilla twist to bring out the flavor of his pancakes. “Is it bad that we’re eating that Fuzz Butt?” 

“We just won’t tell Jumin.” 

“Good, you’re eating slower. You want coffee? I found some.” 

“Oh that’s… Mary Vanderwood’s. It’s so gross.” 

“Heh, noted. I can see why you need a maid.” 

“I do? I think I take good care of the house.” 

“… N… alright.” Zack smirked. “How’s the bacon? Too crispy or not crispy enough?” 

“It’s so good. It’s been so long since I’ve had a meal like this. If ever.” 

He felt a bit bad about that. “Me too… well I mean… It’s been a couple of months.” 

“You cook like this a lot?” 

“Not for myself. But I would for cousins or my parents or my ex.” 

“Lucky them.” He was back to shoveling food in his mouth. 

Zack scrunched his nose. “Seven… you’ve eaten four pancakes.” 

“Mmhmm! Your point?” 

“…Right.” He chuckled. “I’m really glad you like them.” 

“Oh it’s the best!” 

Zack looked at his own plate and sighed. This really was what he needed. Just a fun breakfast, something to stabilize all this chaos. They talked endlessly about random games and television shows. Seven went on a long spiel about Gordon Ramsay and his favorite seasons. Despite liking to cook, Zack wasn’t a cooking show buff. He listened patiently as Seven talked, and once again was to fast for him to fully understand. Although, even if he only got the half of it, listening to Seven did make him want to try out the show. 

After breakfast was done Zack cleaned up the dishes and went back to sitting on the bed. He was exhausted but now that Seven was up he really didn’t want to sleep. It’d be rude, he thought. As Seven wordlessly worked on whatever it was he was doing, Zack was moving money around to buy a bus ticket to get home. Seven lived eight hours away from his apartment. God, how early had he left when he went into the apartment? Right… the files. Should he show him?

He fished out the safe from his bag and looked at the final gem placement, black. Although, he wondered if he needed the Hibiscus at any point. Actually, what _did_ the flowers have to do with anything? 

The safe was made of a thick brown metal, probably due to rust, but no amount of shaking it and throwing it around was going to open the damn thing. If he could find out what was inside these gems then maybe he could just create a fake one. He brought the palest gem color, pink, to his eye level and leaned back to look at it through the light. There definitely was something in there. A sort of magnet. He peered at the fridge, no magnets. He’d try later. 

“Is that the safe?” 

“Yeah.” He handed it to Seven. “I couldn’t find the last gem. I think some kinda magnet is used to unlock the stupid thing.” 

Seven rolled the gems around his palm. “They’re made of reinforced plastic. It’ll take awhile to cut through these things.” 

“Do you want to keep it?” 

“I… I’ll let you hold onto the safe.” 

Hmmm. “Okay.” Zack fully laid onto the bed. He flinched at the pain in his back. “This bed is small.” 

“Well, it’s just me.” 

“Still, splurge a little.” 

“I barely sleep anyways.” Seven placed the safe down. “Should we try a crowbar to this thing?” 

“Might as well.” He sat back up. 

“I’ll be right back.” 

 

Zack shoved the jaws into the safe and gave a hard pull with all his might. They were stabilizing the safe by having Seven push down on the top to create some friction. No matter how much they tried it just wouldn’t open. “Tsk!” Zack tossed the crowbar down. “Damn this thing.” 

“This is really sturdy.” Seven wiped his brow. “What the hell is this thing made out of?” 

“Fuckin’ plutonium or some shit.” Zack felt frustrated. “Dammit.” All that straining was making his muscles ache. Although, the pain he was experiencing didn’t feel normal. He coughed and sneezed. “Forget it. It’s not happening.” He sat down and rubbed his neck. 

“Well, we’ll just tackle it later. You have it here with you so it should be okay.” 

“Hopefully. Why don’t you want to keep it here? This place feels safe.” 

“It… It is but… V can come over whenever he wants.” Seven looked distantly at the wall. 

_So you are getting suspicious._ “I see. But if you hide it-“ 

“I have a lot of work, that thing will drive me crazy. I really want to know what’s inside.” 

“Me too. Whatever it is it better be worth it.” He flipped off the safe. “Hey, I kept the bacon out so you better make the rest.” 

“…Okay. Wait. Are you getting ready to leave?” 

“Well, I gotta get back to the apartment. Right? I mean a lot of evidence is nine hours away. If anything happens it’ll take to long for me to get it.” 

“Are… are you _sure_ it’s really so bad?” Seven adjusted his glasses. 

“I am. I mean look at what’s happened.” He gestured to himself. “Look, I don’t want you to torture yourself over this.” He exhaled through his nose. “I’m figuring this out.” He raised his hand as Seven was about to argue back. “If I need help I’ll contact you. No matter what you’re still the leader.” 

“…” Seven’s gears were on overdrive right now. “Okay.” He closed his eyes. “Okay. Just… just call me immediately. As you said I’m really far away so…” 

“I’ve got great running legs.” He smiled reassuringly. 

“Really? Those short stubs?” 

“Mmmphg!” Zack puffed out his cheeks and Seven took a picture. 

“Finally! Been waiting for that face!” Seven laughed as he set it as his wallpaper. “Ta-da!” 

Zack shook his head and chuckled. “You’re a dork. I’ve bought my ticket I leave in two hours, I should be home by like 6pm.” 

“Ugh… cuz of all the stops? I can drive you…” Seven bit his lip and glanced at his computers. He knew he couldn’t do that.

Zack smiled reassuringly. “It’s no big deal. I don’t mind the little break. Plus we had a great breakfast so I think I’ll be fine.” 

“I… I ate most of it.” 

Zack poked the hackers forehead. “Good. You need the energy more than me. There’s those paw pad shaped pancakes left over for you. Make sure you cook something to go with it. And there’s a bit of frosting. Eat it wisely would ya?” 

“They’re called toe beans Zack. Get educated.” 

Zack chuckled. “Right, sorry sorry. Toe beans. Toe squishes. Paw pads. Same thing.” 

“Widely different. It’s all about cute factor.” 

Zack smirked. “I also made you a looooong cat pancake. So enjoy that.” 

“You did not.” Seven’s face lit up. 

“I did. So enjoy that, kay?” 

“Okay!” 

“One more thing. Please keep your damn apartment clean.” He said seriously. 

“Not sure what you’re saying.” _Is that a smirk I see. Oooh you sly bastard._

“Uh huh, yeah.” He grabbed his clothes. “I’m gonna get changed. Do you want me to wash your clothes before I go?” 

“Leave it, it’s not that big a deal.” 

Zack recalled his sweat induced nightmare. He felt bad. “I’ll wash ‘em. I’ve got a bit of time.” 

After changing, he went down to the garage (Seven didn’t seem to care) and tossed the clothes into the wash. He walked around to look at the cars and whistled. Damn things were shiny. He wasn’t a total car buff so he didn’t spend much time looking at them before going back up. 

“Seven…” Zack pinched the bridge of his brow. “The long cat… are you seriously half-way done?” 

“I’f couldn’t helf muheyeshelf…” 

~* 

Zack folded up the borrowed clothes and put them away. He looked at Lloyd’s hoodie and sighed. It was practically ruined anyways. Reluctantly, he tossed it into the trash. Thanks to the oncoming rains the weather report said it was going to be ungodly humid. Great. By the time he got back he’d take a nice, long, hot shower. Then he’d pack and find someplace else to live. Hopefully. 

“Seems Jumin’s getting harassed.” Seven looked up from his phone. It was a little weird, every time Zack was ready to go Seven suddenly got busy and said he’d be done in X amount of minutes. But whenever Zack busied himself with something to do Seven was laid back and just played on his phone. Did he not want him to go? 

“By whom?” 

“This woman named Glam Choi, remember her?” 

Zack’s foot started to hurt. “Tsk, yeah.” 

“And some girl who wants to marry him.” 

“Marry?! Wow that escalated quickly.” 

“Right?” Seven laughed and leaned back comfortably. Zack inwardly sighed. He was ready to leave, or rather, his bus was leaving in thirty minutes. “You know he won’t do it.” 

“Unless it’s profitable though, right?” 

Seven raised a brow. “Maybe he would. That’d be weird…. Egh I dunno if I wanna go to a wedding like that.” 

“I can’t picture it.” Zack sat down on the bed tapping his foot. “Uhm are you read-“ 

“Just gotta do this real quick.” Seven put his phone down and clicked around the computer. 

“Right.” Zack looked at the time. “Marriage huh… Can’t picture him doing that.” 

“Me neither.” Seven looked back. 

“Does he… like women?” 

Seven laughed. “He’s a real puzzler right? I honestly don’t have a clue. But picturing him with _anybody_ is weird. She or he would have to be seriously straight laced, prim, and proper.” 

“I’ll say.” Zack laughed. “Someone noble and all that shit.” 

“Right?” 

“…” _Seven isn’t even working. He’s stalling._ “Seven, you can just take me to like a curb, I can walk from there.” 

“I-I’m going. I’m almost done.” 

Zack felt a bit saddened. Poor guy. It must be lonely. He got up and went over to his desk and carefully put his hands on his shoulder. “If you sit like that you’ll get a hunch back.” 

“Y-you’re right.” 

Zack patted his shoulders. “You’re playing LOLOL.” 

“No. I’m getting ready to crash the server. Like you said.” 

Zack burst out laughing. “GAHAHA!” It was so sudden and loud that Seven jumped. “I didn’t think you’d do it!” 

Seven had the wryest grin on his face. “What was _that_ just now?” 

“My laugh. Shut up!” Zack blushed and looked at the interesting wall. So very interesting. 

“Wow. That was awesome. Pfft hahaha!” 

“Shut up.” He pouted. 

“Okay okay.” He held his stomach. “It was just so loud! Hahaha!! Do it again!” 

“No way.” 

Seven got up and blocked Zack’s exit. “Come on~” 

“No!” 

“Are you ticklish?” 

Zack gasped and pressed his back to the wall. “S-Seven no! I’m deadly ticklish!” Zack fought his smile. His skin was already starting to prickle at the thought. He shivered as a tingle ran up his spine. 

“Oh. I’m gonna enjoy this.” 

“Seven wait! GAHA!! N-no stop! I’m soo-PAHAHAHA!!! St-St-STAHAHAHAP!” They sank to the floor as Zack tried to run away. “I’m super ticklish!!!” 

“You’re really sensitive.” 

“Ah-ah-ahahaha! I-I-I’m gonna kick you!!!” Zack reached out and grasped only one of Seven’s wrists. “Ahh!! My sides hurt!” He was laughing so hard it was basically an intense core workout. “GAHAHAHAHA!!” After another tortuous minute he finally managed to grab the other wrist. He panted as he tried to catch his breath, his body still shaking. The ghosting feeling of it all was still running through his veins. “You are so mean.” He smirked. 

Seven said nothing. 

Zack looked up and slightly froze. Seven looked… he couldn’t even tell. Was it happy or maybe just… Well, if Zack had to call it something it’d be… flustered? Perhaps something more than that? No way. 

Zack cleared his throat and gently let go of Seven’s wrists. “I almost died there.” 

Seven suddenly snapped out of it. “Oh puh-lease, I didn’t even go in full tickle mode.” 

“What?! There’s more? N-no thank you please.” 

“Haha next time!” 

_Next time._ “Nuh-uh, next time I’ll wear thicker clothes.” 

“That won’t stop me.” 

Zack felt a little flustered at that. “H-ha well we’ll see about that.” The two helped each other up. 

Seven looked sullen as he glanced at the clock. “Yeah… We… better go huh?” 

“Y-yeah.” Now Zack didn’t want to go. He adjusted his glasses and smiled. “Which car? Should I drive?!” 

“My heart can’t take it…” 

_Was he talking about the cars?_

Seven looked back at him. “The… same one, we’ll take the same one as yesterday.” 

“Okay. I’ll meet you down there.” 

~* 

Seven was rather quiet during the drive. He gave Zack the okay to take off his blindfold about twenty minutes into the drive. Zack occupied his time by watching the scenery and playing a game on his phone. 

Ten minutes until he reached the bus stop. He had to say something. 

“Thank you.” He looked at Seven. “For everything.” 

Seven just shook his head. 

Zack stumbled over his words as he continued. “I, uhm, I really…really appreciate all that…that you’ve done.” He rubbed his ring. “And I… I guess what I’m saying… I mean it was a lot of fun too.” 

Seven nodded. “Yeah.” He gripped the wheel tighter. “Thanks for breakfast.” 

“Yeah. No problem. Next time you’re near me come by Pure Joy.” 

“Yeah. I’ll do that.” 

“I’ll… give ya a 3% discount.” 

Seven chuckled. “You’d do that to your leader?” 

“You’re right.” Zack smirked. “4%.” 

“Hahaha! You’d better prepare yourself! Your leader is not pleased by that.” 

“Yes sir God of Space sir.” 

“Whoo!! That’s right!” The happy conversation didn’t last long. Both slightly paled as they reached the bus stop. “Well… uhm.” 

Zack shook Seven’s hand and gently pulled him in for a hug. “Take care of yourself. Kay?” 

“Y-yeah.” 

“Kay.” He smiled and waved goodbye. “See you in the chat.” He exited the car. 

Seven rolled down the window and opened his mouth to say something. But nothing came. He just nodded and kept a tight grip on the wheel. 

“Last call for Bus #5534 Eastbound.” The intercom loudly rang throughout the station. 

“Ah! That’s mine! Bye Seven!” He started running. 

“Zack!”

“Wh-what!?” 

“I… I…” Seven gritted his teeth. “I had f-fun!” 

“Me too!” Zack waved and grinned. “Next time! 'Member?” 

“Yeah!” 

Zack nodded and sprinted towards the ticket station. For some reason, he felt sad. 

~*

For every good thing that happened, something worse always seemed to follow. The bus was crowded and it felt like there were crying babies everywhere. To make things worse the air conditioner was broken and the humidity made the bus a literal hell on wheels. To think just yesterday he was freezing his ass off in the rain. Between freezing his ass off or sweating his ass off, he’d choose death. This was complete torture. 

A mother behind him had a kid with a set of lungs on him, the kid screamed and that scream was raspy with mucous.He didn’t blame the babies, they were probably extremely uncomfortable and there was nothing the mothers could really do, but it didn’t stop Zack from contemplating on jumping out the window. It was going to be hell. 5 hours of _this?!_ He didn’t know if he could take it. An old man sat next to him. He smelled like… rotting cheese. 

God. Kill me. 

Zack tried to concentrate on his music but his phone was slightly overheating. Yay. It wasn’t like he could hear it over the outside noise anyways. He’d talk with the others on the chat but being on the app killed his battery. 

He closed his eyes. So much for sleep. He and Jumin were texting back and forth a bit, but the service was such shit that Zack was starting to get annoyed. A little kid five rows down started screaming. Zack rubbed his temples. He was going to lose it. He wanted to stand up and scream SHUT UP! at the top of his lungs. 

Seven was sending him multiple pictures of his “toe bean” pan-cats. It was cute but it was also seriously heating his phone up. He had no choice but to turn it off. Now, music-less, Zack had to endure the hot, humid, baby-filled, smelly, kid screaming, bus. 

His eye started to twitch. He was feeling claustrophobic. The old man next to him was talking, his breath was worst the smell coming off his He hated it. 

The walls were so hot. They were closing in on him. Burning him. The screaming was making his ears ring. The smell made him want to vomit. He was so exhausted. His head was killing him. His body ached so badly. Each bump of the bus caused his back to bump against the seat sending searing pain to his joints. Sick people were struggling to keep in their coughs and sneezes. 

Hell. This was hell. 

_Kill….  
ME!!! _

**~* 5 Torturous Hours Later: 6pm*~**

He gasped for breath as he got off the bus. He looked like shit, everyone on that bus did, but he was back. He felt like he lost a bit of himself back there. Irritated didn’t even begin to describe the hell he just endured. He thought the orphanage was bad but no! This was worse. Much. Much. **Much** worse! 

He hugged himself as he tried to collect his sanity. He just needed to get home. It was 6 pm and he had a migraine. He was going to have to purge and deal with the pain. He could already feel the pressure building in the back of his neck. He smelled awful. Worst bus ride. Just… just worst bus ride. 

**~* 7 pm *~**

Once he was in the apartment he stripped right there at the door and sprinted to the shower. He rubbed his temples and the back of his neck. He felt god awful. Worse then when he had those hangovers. WORSE then when Lloyd called him! WORSE THEN WHEN HE FELL THROUGH THE FLOOR!! It had been **that** awful! 

He was getting dizzy but he wanted to at least clean off the layer of sweat and dirt off of him. Unfortunately, all the heat did make him vomit which just made the headache intensify. He eventually stumbled out to his bed and collapsed. He sent Seven a smiley face or whatever, he didn’t even know, and then wrote in the chat that he wasn’t going to answer any calls as he was exhausted from a trip he just took. 

Before he knew it, he was asleep. 

**~* 9 pm *~**

He was awoken by an emergency alert coming from his phone. The headache had not gone. With a groan he squinted his eyes at his cell. 

SEVERE RAIN! STAY INDOORS! 

Whatever, he already _was_ indoors. 

He fell back to sleep. 

… 

…

…

… 

BEEEEEP!!! 

SEVERE TROPICAL STORM!! STAY INDOORS!!

Zack groaned as he looked at his phone. The rain really was coming down. It was like rocks were hitting his window, threatening to break in. He closed his phone and sighed. He looked over at the weather report, it seemed it was worse for the Yi’ place right now. He felt his skin prickle. Flash floods? Tsunami warning?

“…” 

**~* 9:30 pm *~**

Zack sloshed through the flooding street. He kept close to the walls as he held the flashlight in front of him, as if it even did anything. He was being pelted with hail and the rain was like knives as it cut through his skin. He walked towards the Yi’s house, he could see a little candle on, they must be safe. But, he hadn’t come here for the Yi’s. He looked around for the little nook of Butty’s. He shivered as he held the flashlight tighter. By the time he had even rounded the corner of his apartment the rain had soaked him through his jeans and socks. By now his clothing was utterly useless. He had his phone in a waterproof bag but he wondered if even was working. 

The water current was getting harder to walk through. Each step just filled his shoes until he finally slipped and fell. His chin met flooded concrete and something snagged his ankle. He tugged his leg away and wiped his face. Luckily he hadn’t gasped in a mouthful of dirty street water. With an exhausted grunt he pulled himself up the chainlink fence only to fall once more. “Shit!” He twisted his ankle. 

“…eow…” 

Zack looked up. “Butty?!” He called out, the rain drowned out his voice. Hail pelted him in the back. It hurt like hell. 

“Me…eow!!” That was definitely a cat. 

He began to carefully limp his way to the sound. His heart pounded as he started to get closer. “Oh god!” There was Butty, his head in the chain link fence and on the verge of drowning. Zack ran over and fell to his knees. He started to shake as he looked around desperately. “J-just hod on!” He ran to the Yi’s shed and pried the doors open. Water started to seep in coating the dirt floor into mud. He had to act fast. He held his flashlight eye level as he frantically dug through the drawers for the wire cutters. 

He ran back to the fence, “Shit!” Butty was fully submerged now. “No no no no no no no!!” He started to tear up as he reached in the water and started clipping. More than once did he struggle to even push the cutters down, with his hands going numb he couldn’t even tell if he was doing it properly. “Please please please no! Come on!!!” He created a big enough hole for him to grab the cat. “Come on!! Oh god, please breathe!!” He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to resuscitate a cat. Butty’s mouth was slightly open, his eyes barely peeking open. Zack quickly ran towards the Yi’s house and pounded on the door. “Hey! Open up! PLEASE!!” 

No answer. His voice was useless in this rain. 

He ran back to the shed, his ankle sending a shooting pain up his leg, and put Butty on the table before frantically digging for his phone. Thank god, reception. He called a clinic. Closed. He called a cab. No one answered. He frantically dialed line after line all while trying to help the cat. He managed to get through to someone. 

“Zachary what-“ 

“It’s Butty! Th-the tabby!” 

“What is happening? Where are you?” 

“O-outside Pure Joy. He’s not breathing, and no clinic is answering!”

“Outside!? What in God’s name!!! Stay where you are, I’m calling you a car.” 

“Jumin please! You have to have some vet on speed dial right? Please, I don’t know what to do!” 

“Stay calm.” His voice became distant. “Yes! Get Driver Kim to go to this location now! You! Get me Dr. El on the line!” His voice came back. “Now, breathe Zachary, you will not do yourself any service by hyperventilating.” 

He took a shaky breath. “Y-yeah.” 

“Okay Zachary, do as I say.” 

~* 

Zack shivered as he sat inside the car. Driver Kim, as Jumin called him, stayed silent as Zack held Butty in his arms. As instructed by Jumin, who relayed what the doctor said, Zack had somehow managed to help Butty. But it wasn’t quite enough. The cat was barely breathing and every once in a while he’d just stop. Zack mumbled countless apologies to both the driver and Butty as he sat there. He apologized for soaking the seat, he apologized for risking the drivers life, he apologized to Butty for not taking him home, he apologized for the windshield being cracked from the hail, he apologized for being stupid. 

**_Yes, you’re so stupid. Look at what you did! You killed the cat!! You’re basically a murderer! And you destroyed the Yi’s shed! If only you weren’t so stupid. Always thinking about only yourself. If Lloyd had stayed… would you have killed him too? You are toxic! You suffocate everyone around you!_ **

“Mr. Rein. We’re here. Please allow me to open the door.” 

Zack nodded robotically. He held Butty closer to him and kissed the top of his head as he prayed for his safety. “I am so sorry… I’m so sorry…” He sniffed, whether it was from crying or because he was freezing, he didn’t know. 

The door opened and quickly the two ran into the building. “Mr. Rein, this is the security guard, he’ll take you up to the penthouse. I am going to go park the car.” Kim bowed before running back outside. 

**_Do you think that guy has a family? What if you got him sick and he died?_ **

Zack’s eyes widened slightly. 

“Mr. Rein? Come on, the vet is here.” 

**_You just couldn’t stop at Seven huh, you had to go and kill two other helpless souls. Man, you really fucked up this time._**

Zack followed the security guard to the elevator. He cradled Butty and gently petted his soaking fur. Zack tried to keep him warm, but to no avail. Butty closed his eyes. Zack watched intently for a small nose flare, a stomach rise, something! By the time he reached the top, he saw nothing. Zack ran out with the security guard and burst into the room. 

“Za-“ 

“He’s not breathing!” 

The vet ran over and took Butty from his arms. He felt a hand on his shoulder pull him back. “Let her work.” 

**~* 10:30 pm *~**

After an hour the vet nodded with a smile. “He’s going to be fine. You should keep him here and then take him to my clinic tomorrow.” 

“Aren’t you going to stay?” Zack held the towel closer to his shoulders.

“I have provided everything Butty needs.” She nodded reassuringly. “I have received an emergency call, I need to head out. All you need to do, Mr. Han and Mr. Rein, is keep Butty warm and on the ventilator. Butty is sleeping just fine, he will wake up tomorrow.” She patted Zack’s shoulder “You did an excellent job on giving him CPR Mr. Rein. And if it weren’t for you actions Butty would not be here right now. You did great on freeing him from the fence.” 

**_If it weren’t for your actions, Butty wouldn’t even have been put in this situation in the first place._**

“Thank you Dr. El.” Jumin said next to him. 

Zack nodded slowly. “Y-yes…” He dug his nails into his arm. 

“You’re very welcome. Well then, I must get going.” 

Zack walked up to Butty and gently touched his drying fur. He waited until he heard the door close before he collapsed. His head was madly spinning. 

“Zachary?” Jumin quickly moved over to him. 

His ankle was throbbing. “Hurts…” He gritted his teeth. “It was my stupidity that did this… I should’ve gotten home earlier! No… I shouldn’t have even gone!!” 

“No, you didn’t know the storm would get this bad. You couldn’t have predicted this.” He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Please, go take care of yourself now. I will watch Butty while you go shower. I shall have clothing laid out for you.” 

“But…” 

“I don’t want you catching a cold. You’re practically ice right now.” 

Zack nodded and got up with the help of Jumin. He carefully made his way to the bathroom, the master bathroom upon Jumin’s insistence, and walked into the hot shower. He slid to the floor and stared blankly at the tile wall. “Kss!” He flinched at a sudden rush of pain. He looked at the twisted ankle, “Oh.” He was bleeding pretty badly. It must have happened when he fell the first time. Or maybe he got snagged in the shed. He was so cold he hadn’t felt it. To think, just a few hours ago he was sweating his heart out and now he was back to shivering like a leaf. 

“Jumin!” He called from the bathroom. “Where do you put your bandages!?” 

He jumped when Jumin’s voice was suddenly on the other side of the door. “Under the sink. What happened?” 

“I got cut with something and my ankles twisted.” He reached for a towel and bit down hard as he put his ankle under the water and gently cleaned it. 

“Open the door.” 

“Uhm…” He spat out the towel. “I can do it myself.” 

“Let me at least make sure it’s nothing bad. What if it was something with rust that cut you? Or what if the water from the streets infected you?” 

Well… that was true. He looked around and spotted a bathrobe. “Okay hold on. Let me just finish.” After he was done he carefully stepped out and tousled his hair in the towel before putting on the robe. “Okay.” He opened the door. 

“You’re bleeding.” 

“Yeah, it won’t stop.” 

Jumin stepped in, “Here, sit down and let me see.” 

He did so and hesitantly raised his foot. Embarrassingly, Jumin knelt down and took his leg gently. “It’s deep.” Jumin remarked. 

“Y-yeah.” He looked away. “Ow… Don’t press down on it like that.” 

“I’m sorry. My doctor can’t make it here, the weather has only gotten worse since you got in the shower. It’d be impossible for him.” 

“Oh.” 

“Here, let me at least disinfect it. But… I don’t want you to pass out.” 

He looked back. “I’ll be fine.” 

“Your face is all red.” 

He glanced away. “The steam…” He mumbled. “Okay, then in the bedroom— th-the living room!” 

“The bedroom is fine, here.” Jumin took his hand and helped him walk towards the circular bed. 

Zack sat down and immediately sighed. It was so plush, like sleeping on a cloud. He could fall asleep right now. “How’s Butty?” 

“He is doing just fine. Brace yourself, I’m going to put on the disinfectant.” 

Zack gripped the bedsheets and leaned back. The moment he felt the burning liquid he screwed his eyes shut and covered his mouth. It took every willpower to not kick Jumin in the face right now. This feeling was on par with the headache. 

“I’m sorry that it hurts. Please, just bear it for a moment longer. I’m almost done.” Jumin spoke so gently. Zack nodded and curled his toes in attempt to keep still. He felt the tight wrapping of the gauze. “There.” 

Zack looked down. “It’s a little messy.” He chuckled. He reached down and fixed the wrapping. When he looked up, he flinched at how intense Jumin was staring him. “T-that’s better. Uhm… the clothing?” They were close, if Zack leaned forward just a bit they’d be kissing. He pulled back slightly. 

“What’s this?” Jumin slowly dragged his fingers up to the back of Zack’s calf. 

“U-ngh. What?” He jerked his leg away. _Does he realize how he’s touching!?_

“This, right here.” He eyed Zack’s knee. “And these too.” 

Oh right, the scrapes from when he fell in the orphanage. “I fell is all.” 

“It looks purple.” 

“I fell really hard. It’s just bruised.” 

“Are you hiding more injuries from me?” The low timber in his voice made Zack tense up. 

“Y-no!” 

“That sounded like a lie. Shall I check?” 

“I’m fine.” He sighed. “The clothing?” 

“Right here.” Jumin looked to the edge of the bed. He got up slowly and walked towards the bedroom door. “I’ll let you get changed.” 

The clothes Jumin gave him fit him nicely, although the pajama bottoms were too long for him. He patted the t-shirt down— ‘Cat lovers~ Nyan~’— and limped his way into the living room. “Oh?” He looked over to see that fuzz butt in the cage. “Is she… comfortable in there?” 

“Yes, I’ve made sure that,” Zack jumped when he suddenly felt the voice directly behind him, “she has only the best. I just don’t want those women to do anything to her. I must protect her.” 

“I… guess… Wait… _those_ women?” He put his hand to the cage. Elizabeth rubbed her face as he lightly scratched her ears. _Wow she really is soft._

“It is nothing pressing. Some people will do irrational things to get their way. But let’s not talk about that right now.” 

Zack didn’t entirely get it. “I want to see Butty.” Jumin helped him along the way. It pained him to see Butty with tubes in his mouth and gauze around his neck. “I feel so stupid. If only I wasn’t being so lazy… None of this would have happened.” 

“You had wrote in the chat that you were exhausted from a trip. It isn’t your fault.” 

“That trip…” He bit his lip, he didn’t want to tell Jumin about it yet. “Yeah.” He turned away to sneeze. “Oh sorry, ugh do you have some allergen pills?” He sneezed again. 

“I’ll have someone pick it up from downstairs.” 

Zack blew his nose before sneezing again. “Oof there’s a lot of cat hair in here.” He turned around from Butty and finally looked at Jumin.

Jumin was tall and practically oozed out power from every pore in his body. Physically, Jumin was very handsome. It was clear he had the money to keep himself clean cut. The way his hair, a combination of chocolate and dark brown depending on the light, looked rather too perfect. And his eyes, such a steel grey and staring directly into his. 

“Ehm…” Zack turned away. 

“I’m sorry, I was staring again wasn’t I?” 

_Again_? “Well… I wuhb staring too.” His nose was all stuffed up. “I… before I goh can I have some tea? I just want to-“ 

“Go?” 

Zack looked up at Jumin who looked genuinely puzzled. 

“Go where?” Jumin took a step closer to him. “You aren’t going anywhere tonight. The storm is too severe for you to go home.” 

Zack blew his nose. “Oh. So then, should I go to a hot-“ 

“You will stay here.” 

“You…sure?” 

“Yes. You can take my room.” 

“What? No thanks. I’ll take the couch.” 

“And be surrounded by both cats?” 

_Oh, true._ “W-well surely you have another room?” 

“Yes, I guess you can take the guest room, but I would rather you be comfortable.” 

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” _Especially considering I’ve been sleeping on ROCKS the past two days._ Zack’s stomach started to growl. “…” 

“I’ll cook you something.” 

“Y-you don’t have to.” He sneezed again. He blew his nose again. He was the epitome of unattractive right now. Puffy eyes, stuffy nose, and oversized clothing, oh yeah he felt _real_ handsome right now. 

“The medication you need works better on a full stomach. Please, have a seat. By the time I’m done the medication will be here.” He typed something into his phone while eyeing Zack as he watched over Butty. “Come here. I don’t want you to get sicker.” 

“Okay.” He sat at the counter and drank the tea Jumin quickly heated up for him. “Ugh. It’s bitter.” 

“I would offer you honey but that brand needs to be drank straight.” 

“Okay…” He pouted. 

“It’ll help.” Jumin put on a blue apron. Cat themed, go figure. “What would you like?” 

“Pfft. U-um something,” he looked away snickering, “light.” 

“Why are you laughing?” 

“No reason~” Zack tapped his fingers against the counter. “This… isn’t how I was picturing meeting you.” He sighed. “But, I guess all nerves are totally lost when something like _this_ happens.” 

“While I’m happy to have met you, I agree, I wish it were on better circumstances.” 

Zack smiled. “First Seven now you, it must be my lucky day.” He laughed. “It’s fun!” Elizabeth moved around in her cage catching Zack’s attention, if only he had seen the way Jumin froze at that statement. “Hey,” he felt bad for her, “after they bring in the medication, why don’t you let her out? I doubt those ladies you’ve mentioned will be coming here. Especially not in this weather.” 

“… Perhaps I will.” Jumin pulled out some ingredients. 

“I’m surprised you can cook.” He pressed his cold hand to his heated forehead. 

“Is it really so odd?” 

“Well, I guess not, but you’re from the 1%. It just feels like you would be rather…um what’s the word?… Useless in the kitchen?” 

“Hmph, well I guess I’ll have to prove you wrong.” 

Zack grinned. “Okay! Now I’m really excited.” He rubbed his temples. “I… I need to lie down for a bit.” Jumin was once again quickly by his side. He helped him into the guest room. 

“You… you feel really warm.” Jumin furrowed his brows and touched Zack’s forehead. “You’re burning.” 

Zack just nodded and closed his eyes. “I… need sleep. Sorry.” He rolled to his side and shivered. He felt awful. His body was trying to kill whatever virus was making a host out of him. He’d let it fight as long as it got this monster out of him. 

He _had_ been putting his body through rigorous situations. He could’ve gotten sick from working at the Yi’s, from the entirety of Sunshine Hill, from the hot bus, from this rain. The possibilities were endless. Whatever it was it was killing his head. He rubbed his temples and groaned. Someone was brushing back his hair but he didn’t even care. Butty was safe and that was all that mattered. 

**~* 1 am: Day 8 *~**

Zack slowly opened his eyes. He was somewhere foreign. Where in the hell was he?He looked around the room and felt the memories come flooding back. He sat up and gasped before falling into a coughing fit. He blew his nose and rubbed his temples. His head still felt stuffy and his body felt like mush. Still, he was dying of thirst and needed to use the restroom. He carefully limped towards the bathroom and washed his face. He blew his nose for what felt like ages and sighed. “Damn.” He looked like shit. It seemed the past two days had _finally_ caught up with him. He hated tap water so he made his sorry ass go into the kitchen. First he checked on Butty. All good. Then, he checked on Elizabeth. She wasn’t in her cage. 

Zack looked around and nearly choked when he saw the Fuzz Ball staring at him from across the room. She licked her paws as she watched his every move. He silently looked around for a glass. Top shelf. Of course, the universe was a bitch. 

He stood on his tip toes only for his ankle to spasm and shoot a searing pain up his leg, through his spine, and straight to his fingertips. The light touch he had on one glass was enough for it to crash against the counter. 

“Fuck…” He slowly sat up. He was getting irritated and angry. A door opened and suddenly Jumin was behind him again, this time it didn’t surprise him. “I broke it.” 

“It’s fine, let me help you. And, I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, I was in the other room changing.” 

_He was up this whole time? Why wasn’t he sleeping?_

**_Because you’re bothering him. I mean, look at poor Seven. Because of you and your “brilliant” plan to get evidence against V, poor hard working Seven had to sleep at his desk while you RUDELY took over his bed. Just cause you made him pancakes doesn’t make what you did okay. And now look at what’s happening. You’re forcing a fucking CEO to take care of you. You do realize he runs a company right? He oversees a lot of peoples jobs. What if he has an important meeting tomorrow?_ **

Once Zack was back to standing he gripped a glass shard letting it cut into his palm. 

“Zachary!” 

“Dammit… Dammit dammit DAMN DAMN DAMN!!” He slammed his fist to the counter. “FUCK!” He trembled and leaned against the counter. He was crying, it only made his headache worse. “God! Fucking!” He bit his lip. “I’m sorry!” He spat out. He could hear Liz’s collar jungle as she ran into another room. “Dammit to hell I’m so sorry!!! I’m such a FUCKING IDIOT!! IDIOT! DAMN IDIOT!!!!”He slammed his fist harder and squeezed the glass in his hand. 

Jumin took his hand and forced his fingers open. He didn’t say anything as he pulled the glass out. He ushered Zack to the sink and cleaned off the blood. 

Zack kept ranting. Unlike the last time, when he called Jumin about Lloyd, his voice was nothing but pure anger and hatred towards himself. He just cussed himself out calling himself names and belittling every bit of who he was. He was sobbing as he just stood there screaming his head off. He wasn’t even speaking to Jumin. He was just yelling at himself, completely losing it and gripping his head as the throbbing pain intensified.

It seemed these past two months had _finally_ caught up with him. And he was losing it. He spout out ugly words and slammed his fist against the counter until Jumin stopped him. He tried to break free but he was so sick he couldn’t muster the strength. Eventually, he looked at him and sobbed harder. Zack couldn’t handle this alone. He just sobbed into Jumin’s arms until he couldn’t even stand. 

Jumin led him to his room and sat him down. After thirty minutes of Zack calming down, Jumin took him by the face and forced Zack to look into his eyes. “Listen to me. You have gone through a great ordeal but you can get through this.” 

Zack only searched his eyes to see if Jumin really meant it. 

“You’ve put yourself through too much. You need to calm down and let your body get the rest it deserves. I’m taking the day off tomorrow and I want you to stay here and rest. Don’t worry about Lloyd, the RFA, Butty, or anything. Do you understand me?” 

Zack nodded. 

“You need rest Zachary. You need to rest your mind and your body. You’ve done too much. I’m going to oversee that you get everything you need. When you feel the time is right I want you to talk to a professional.” 

“But-“ 

Jumin glared. “Be quiet. I’m talking. Do not worry about frivolous things. I will take care of everything. Do you hear me?” 

“Yes.” 

“I want you to take some medicine and go to sleep. I will be right here to make sure you’re okay. Anything you need I will get it for you. Anything you want I will get it for you.” 

“O-okay.” 

“Very good.” He let go of his face. “Now lay back and let me dress your hand. I will be back soon.” 

Zack nodded. Once Jumin disappeared into the bathroom Zack muttered “What the hell…” He almost felt rattled by all of that. Maybe it was the sickness talking but he felt calm for some reason. Jumin didn’t even yell at him or anything. But after that he just felt… blissful? Maybe? 

“Give me your hand.” 

Zack did so, another gauze wrapped tightly around his hand. 

“Sit up, you’ve been sweating.” 

Jumin gave him orders left and right. Even if he sounded a little strict, Zack felt good. Each thing done for him only relaxed him more, he didn’t have to worry about anything right now. At some point Elizabeth sat on his legs rending him immobile, but he didn’t mind her there. He lightly petted her fur before gently nudging her off of him, she was cute but she was a heat retainer. 

Jumin came back in with some pills. “This will help that fever.” 

Zack nodded and took them. “Ugh!” 

“I know, they’re bitter.” 

He slightly gagged as he downed his water. “I’m so-“ 

“Enough. I don’t want to hear it.” He handed Zack a washcloth. “I’ve seen this on TV.” 

“O-oh.” Zack somewhat laughed. He put the cold cloth to his head and sighed. It felt too good. “I… wonder what I’m sick with?” 

“It could be a multitude of things.” Jumin sat on the edge of the bed and examined his ankle once more. “Where have you been these past two days?” 

Zack glanced away. “It… was something important.” 

“Something dangerous?” 

He nodded. What was the point of lying about that? His body clearly showed the truth. 

“Why… why did you go out in that rain?” 

“Butty could’ve be killed!” 

“ _You_ could’ve been _killed_ Zachary.” 

_Deja vu again._ “I… I couldn’t let him drown.” 

Jumin closed his eyes. “I… appreciate that you worked so hard to save Butty’s life but you could have died.” 

“I’m here now aren’t I?” 

“Zachary.” 

“It’s true though.” 

Jumin’s glare was not pleasant. 

“I…I’m so-“ 

“Enough, I said.” 

“Y-yes…sir.” He took another sip of water in embarrassment. 

Jumin sighed. “How’s your head?” 

“It hurts. Everything hurts.” 

“The pills will help you sleep better. Let me change your shirt.” 

“I’m okay.” 

“Zachary, you’re sweating profusely. If you don’t change you could get cold as your sweat cools. It’ll only make you sicker.” 

Zack sighed and leaned forward before puling off his shirt. 

Jumin froze. “Zachary.” 

“What?” 

“Your back.” 

Right. The bruise. “Does it look bad?” 

“Yes. It looks awful! What happened!?” The tone made Zack jump. 

“I f-fell.” 

“From what?” 

“F-from a… I fell through a floor.” 

“By god what on earth have you been doing!?” 

“Something important.” Zack darted his eyes away. 

Jumin’s jaw twitched. He wanted to argue but thought it better to leave his questions for later. Zack was not looking forward to that. With a bit of help he put on his shirt and laid on his side. “Just…” Jumin took a breath to calm his worries. “Just rest. Okay?” 

“Yes.” 

“Good. I’ll be right here.” He pointed at the chair. 

Zack recalled his nightmares. What if he choked himself again? “Ju…Jumin.” 

“Yes? What do you need?” He peered at his face. 

Zack sighed, this was stupid. “Can you…” He cussed under his breath. “Can you lay here with me. Just for a bit?” 

“… yes that’s fine.” 

Once Jumin was in the bed Zack took the soon-to-be-CEO’s hand, with his good one, and squeezed it gently. _Please. Please God let me just catch a fucking break. PLEASE. Let. Me. Sleep!_

 

If only Zack realized what his actions that day between both men led to. Maybe then he wouldn’t be caught in the Den of Demons. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next two updates on this story will be: Day 8 and a Q:A Send in your questions. You can ask me about whatever or ask characters about whatever (I think those are fun) 
> 
> WHoo! Donzo! For now. I'll be out of commission for a while, about four days maybe more because I have matters to attend to.   
> Uh oh spadoodle oh's. An injured Zack has entered the wolf's den! 
> 
> "Ghosting... did you just almost kill the cat for them to MEET?!" 
> 
> Uhm... :D 
> 
> "What about the cakes!?" 
> 
> Hahaha! You silly billies. What? You want a happy moment? pffft   
> Jk. Actually I had this written for weeks and I really loved it lolol. I added a few things like the sprain and illness (let's be honest, Zack wouldn't have walked away from all that and NOT get sick) But I did the sprain for reasons.   
> Also I had WAY too much fun with Seven and Zack. It's all on purpose, not just for drama's sake.   
> Alright I think I added everything I wanted to say. Send in your questions if you'd like! Bye bye!!


	13. Day 8: Finally Resting

It was noon when Zack finally awoke. The sky was grey but the rain had finally subsided into a low drizzle. He felt like a bag of bricks and probably looked worse. He flexed his fingers searching for Jumin’s hand but the bed was empty. That was probably for the best, he was nothing but a host of viruses right now. He felt bad that he even asked him to hold his hand in the first place. But, on the bright side, at least he didn’t have any nightmares. That was probably thanks to the medicine. 

“Hmm.” 

Zack looked over and gasped. “You scared me.” He sat up slowly, feeling his back tighten in pain, and blew his nose. 

“My apologies. I should’ve made myself known sooner.” Jumin was sitting across from him in an arm chair. “You seemed to have slept well.” 

_You were just watching or something? I don’t see a book or your phone._ “Y-yeah.” He coughed up phlegm and mucus. It was gross. “Ugh. Sorry bout that. Mind if I shower again?” 

“I don’t mind. Let me help you.” 

Zack carefully got out of the bed and gripped Jumin’s arm. “Argh, it hurts.” He sat back down. “My body is so stiff. And my ankle hurts like hell.” He got up once more and pressed closer to the CEO. “Man, this sucks. I can’t believe this.” 

“You’ll be fine. As long as _you_ _rest_ , you’ll be fine. The streets are still unusable, so I’ll have to take care of you.” 

“Sorry.” He pressed against the bathroom sink and motioned for Jumin to leave. “Oh! Mind if I ask for another favor?” 

“Anything.” 

“Can you make something hot and spicy? I want to flush out all of this crap.” 

“Of course. I’ll see what I have. I have also informed the RFA of what’s happened.” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, okay.” He closed the door and turned on the hot shower.

_If the rain has finally stopped_ , he thought as he let the water run down his face, t _hen I’m going to go the apartment and then I’m going to the Yi’s to check on them_. He turned around and massaged his lymph nodes near his neck. _Then I need to check my emails_. “Damn.” _I’ve completely forgotten about the RFA emails_. “…Who cares?” He scoffed. _I’m not doing this anymore. I’m calling it off. Hell,_ ** _they_** _can do it!_ “It’s not my responsibility.” He mumbled. _I’m done with this useless shit. I’m going to confront V and then get out of this dumb charity. Me and Butty. I’m taking him home._ “Tch.” 

Once he was cleaned and changed, once again wearing Jumin’s clothing, he limped over to the kitchen and sat down with an exhausted sigh. “How’s Butty?” 

Jumin, who was wearing that cat apron, looked over from the stove. “He’s doing fine, he woke up this morning and had some water. I have him over there.” He pointed to the guest room which was divided with a baby gate. Butty was sitting in a box with a towel inside and was sleeping. “He’s weak but he’s healing. You should take a page out his book.” 

“What?” Zack smiled. “You mean sit in a box and sleep?” 

“I mean, you should rest.” 

The brunette sighed. “Right. Right. Once I get back to the apart-“ 

“Excuse me? Did you not hear what I said earlier? The roads are **still unusable**.” Jumin picked up a ladle and started to stir whatever it was he was making. If it smelled good he didn’t know, his nose was too stuffed up to even tell. 

“Well… I know, but I just thought that-“ 

“I won’t hear it. Because of your constant running around you’ve managed to cover yourself in bruises, cut your body from god knows what, get yourself nearly killed in what I’m guessing is more than once, and catch some kind of illness. I will not have an argument over this.” 

“But-“ 

“I said I will **not** have an argument over this Zachary. Whatever is pressing you, we can handle it later.” 

“We?” 

“Yes, we. I think it’s about time for you to stop taking all of this on you’re own and ask for help.” 

Zack sighed. “I… you’re right.” He looked over at Elizabeth who was back in the cage. “Can’t we let her out? I doubt those women will-“ 

“They called this morning.” Jumin suddenly sounded frustrated. “I don’t want to take any risks.” 

Zack stood up and limped over to him. “What… do you mean? What are they trying to do?” _They don’t want to kill her right??? That’d be insane._

“It’s idiotic. It isn’t even worth my breath.” 

Zack tapped his fingers on the counter. He really wanted to know. “…If you tell me what’s bothering you… I’ll tell you what’s bothering me.” 

“Hmph, and is that your only offer?” Jumin glanced back at him. 

“Well… yeah.” 

He sighed and put down his ladle. “Alright, if it will help you. Now sit back down.” 

“I’m stretching.” Zack leaned over the counter. “It feels good. Now talk.” 

Once again, he sighed. Zack was sometimes difficult to handle. “It needs to boil, can you wait?” 

“Yeah. So who’re these women you keep talkin’ about?” 

Exasperation was all Zack could describe Jumin’s face. And intense irritation. “Glam Choi, my fathers new playth-… girlfriend… is trying to get me married to a subordinate or friend of hers named Sarah.” 

_Sarah?! Ha nah, can’t be._

“My father thinks it would be good for me to settle down. He’s also just trying to please that woman.” Jumin squeezed his fist. 

“Oh. Well that sucks. Maybe you can like…” He shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe you can just like… talk to your dad. Face to face without Slam Boh there.” 

“Glam Choi.” 

“Right.” _Whatever. She’s a…tsk._ “I mean, it’s your life. I know that some people still do the arranged marriage thing but like… I dunno. Marriage is supposed to be sacred right?” 

“Marriage holds many purposes. Marriage for love can be very rare. Some people get married for jobs, families, or even out of fear.” 

“W-well that’s true.” _Fear… Right._

“People in this business can be very… desperate to get what they want. Some may stalk you, some visit your workplace, some even try to get through to you through your friends or family.” 

_I take it they’ve been doing just that._

“What’s more is that some people will go even further than that. Perhaps unexpected deaths, buyouts, blackmail, or taking something -or someone- that they love as ransom.” 

“You… really think those ladies will do something _that_ drastic? I mean… it’s just marriage.” 

“Marriage into wealth.” 

“Well…true.” Zack sighed. “So you think they’ll try and hurt the cat? But… I mean… like how? Do you think they’ll steal her?” 

“I don’t know…” Jumin went over to Elizabeth and petted her fur. He looked so sorrowful. “I just don’t want to take any chances. She is my everything.” 

_Yeesh_ … “Um…well… I guess I see your point. Can’t you just tell your staff to never let them in?” 

“I have but Glam Choi had some words to say to my father about that. I was scolded.” 

“Eh heh that sucks. So… why this Sarah girl?” 

“I don’t know. I’m not sure what her relationship with Glam is like.” 

“Maybe she’s her daughter!” 

“Zachary… that would be rather strange. Considering Glam wants to marry my father.” 

Zack laughed. “Yeah! Okay I see your point. Maybe Glam owes Sarah a big favor?” 

“Whatever the case may be… I don’t have a good feeling about it.” Jumin shook his head. “That’s my situation. It’s cumbersome and very irritating. Honestly, I really don’t have time for this kind of stupidity right now. The fiscal year will reach its end and I must look over countless documents. And now is my time to sift through the best cat projects, but its hard when there’s just too many good ideas.” 

The shorter man (much shorter) rolled his eyes. “You sure got it rough…” 

“Anyways, enough about that nonsense. Where’ve you been all this time?” 

Zack tensed. “On a trip, like I said before.” 

“But _where?_ ” Jumin took a step towards him. Zack stopped his stretching turned away. “Zachary.” 

“It’s something important to me. I… I don’t want to talk about that. What I want to talk about is that…” He bit his thumb nail. “Never…never mind.” 

“Zack. I know it’s hard considering everything that-“ 

“Iwanttocanceltheparty!” He looked back at Jumin and slammed his fist on the marble counter. It hurt, but he didn’t care. “I don’t want to do it! I hate this party! I hate planning it! And! …” He took a deep breath. “And I don’t like V. I don’t agree with his ways, I don’t like the way he runs things, and I think that he’s -…” Zack shook his head. “I… I can’t do it. I don’t **want** to do it. I can’t handle it.” 

“Zachary we’re here to hel-“ 

“What kind of organization doesn’t hold meetings!?” He threw his hands in the air and slammed his fist to the counter to try and calm himself down. "I mean come on!” He took a step forward and jabbed his finger at Jumin. “I get here unannounced and not once did any of you want to meet me and talk to me and tell me face to face what I should be doing! _I_ had to reach out.” He scoffed. “I mean, why didn’t you ever say anything!? Don’t you run a company!? If some guy was just randomly in your emails and was like ‘uh hi I’m such and such from blah blah corporation’ would you be like ‘okay!’ Or would you fuckin ask questions?” He raised his eyebrows. “Well?” 

“I understand. We didn’t handle this professionally.” 

“Yeah no duh!” He started coughing. “And now, ergh!, the party and I just I have no damn cl-ugh-clue what I’m doing!!! People…people have been cancelling Jumin! They’re cancelling and they’re complaining and the emails are so stupid and weird! I’m not cut out for this!” He was about to slam his fist onto the counter again when suddenly Jumin grabbed him and pulled into a tight hug. “Wh…what’s wrong?” 

“Stop…hurting yourself.” 

“I’m n-“ 

“I know you’re angry. I know things have been hectic. And… now I know that we haven’t helped you in any way, but please, stop doing things that get you hurt.” 

“Why…do you…” 

Jumin took a deep breath. “Talking… talking with you…” He clicked his tongue. “Do I really need a reason?” 

“I…I guess not…” His shoulders shook as he tried to hold in his cough. "Jumin, you can let go now.” Once they parted Zack held up a finger and started to hack up whatever was in his throat. His breathing was tight and he needed to hold onto something or else he’d collapse. “Sorry.” He took a moment to catch his breath. 

“Don’t apologize. I should be the one to apologize. It’s just… seeing you moving until you collapse is…” Jumin looked around. It was like he was trying to figure out something but he just didn’t know how. Zack gave him a reassuring smile. Jumin actually returned it. 

_Wow… now that’s a nice smile._

“Right…” Jumin looked at the soup. “Well then, I’ll discuss this with everyone later. Let’s get you back into bed, I’ll bring you the soup when it’s done. I think you’ve done enough walking around for today.” 

“Can’t I just sit here? You’ve… you’ve got the Play Station in the living room.” He’d been eyeing it since he got here. Subtlety of course. 

“I see. Well fine, let’s get you to the couch. I haven’t ever turned it on though so you may need to set it up.” 

Zack carefully moved towards the living room and gasped.“You’ve still got the peelies on!” 

“The… peelies?” 

“The cover thingies. The…” He lifted the plastic covering. “This stuff. Oh can I? Can I pleeeaaase peel it off?” 

“Yes, go ahead. Here, these are promotional games I’ve received.” He handed Zack a box. 

“HOLY SHIT!” He lifted a red and steel game. “T-THIS IS PERSONA 5 AND IT’S SIGNED BY BOTH THE JAPANESE AND ENGLISH CAST!” 

“Y-yes.” Jumin looked taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm. 

“Oh my god! And this!!! Look at this one Jumin! And this! THIS TOO!” He dug through the games. “Jumin! Play this one with me!” 

“Which one?” 

Zack pulled out a multiplayer puzzle game. “Ah man I’ve always wanted to play this one but you…you gotta have friends for that.” He laughed nervously. “God I sound lame.” 

“You don’t.” Jumin gave another soft smile. “Okay, just teach me how to use these things.” 

“Oh right, you’re technologically inept.” He moved around and fell to his knees. 

“Zachary!? Are you okay!?”

“No. Fucking. Way.” He pulled out a box under the coffee table. "You have a Switch?! Oh Jumin! Jumin! Let’s play Snipper Clips. I’ve watched so many videos on it, it looks like so much fun. You have today off right?”

“The stree-“ 

“Right right! The streets are underwater!! Awesome! Let’s play all day!” He started coughing. 

“Zachary, please calm down. I don’t want you to get sicker.” 

He shook his head and cleared his throat. “I’m fine! Laughter is the best medicine after all.” 

“Before we play that game, you should eat.” 

“Huh? Oh yeah… I forgot I was hungry.”He sat back and started opening the box carefully. 

Jumin chuckled and shook his head. “You set up the system. Once you're done, everything should be just about ready.” 

“Okay!” He started to mess around with the boxes and cables. He was excited, it had been quite some time since he did something like this. Maybe in others eyes he was too old to be getting this excited over a console, but right now he loved everything about this. It was mindless stupid fun. 

 

After his lunch, which Zack thoroughly enjoyed, he brought out Elizabeth and grabbed a blanket from a cedar chest. “Get comfortable, I’m going to check on Butty.” He said mainly to Fuzzy Face. 

Jumin put Elizabeth down. “Let me help.” 

“I need like a cane or crutches. I don’t want to have to keep relying on you.” 

“…” 

He sneezed loudly and pinched his brow, there was an uncomfortable pressure in his sinuses. Once he recovered he leaned over the baby gate, they were now using it to keep the cats away from each other,“Hey there Butty…” The cat blinked up at him and rubbed its head into his hand. “You sure he’s gonna be okay?” 

“Yes, I talked with Dr. El earlier when you were asleep. Everything is going to be okay… I really think Muffin is a better name.” 

“And I really think… tsk, I got no comeback! Shut up. It’s a good name.” He pouted.After a few minutes of giving the cat a light brushing and changing its gauze Zack came back and took Jumin’s arm to stabilize himself. “Come on, let’s play!” He gripped Jumin’s hand and pulled him to the couch. 

“Zack, don’t drag me when you’re this hurt. What if you hurt your ankle more?” 

“Hur dur dur derp, stop nagging me.” He limped over to his spot and picked up Fuzz Butt. “Want to sit on my lap?” He asked her. She just blinked. “Okay. But no drooling.” 

“She doesn’t drool. She’s a proper lady.” 

“Mmhmm.” He got into the blanket and held the controller. “Okay, let me show you how to do this.” He scooted closer to Jumin and pointed at the buttons explaining the rules of the game and how to play. 

** ~* 10 Minutes Later *~  **

“Zachary, you need to turn 15 degrees.” Jumin was playing as the pink paper character. 

“Jumin… My brain is a small, soft, mush, you need to talk to me like I’m ten.” Zack was the yellow. 

“Picture a protractor and move towards what would be 35 degrees.” 

“…Okay talk to me like I’m five.” 

“Move five clicks to the left.” 

“Aye aye captain.” Zack rolled his cough drop in his mouth. “The design is so cute.” 

“Yes, it is rather simple.” 

“We make a pretty good team.” He wandered around clipping Jumin’s character. 

“I’ve been timing each stage, we finish under forty seconds each time.” 

Zack took a sip of his tea. “Is that good?” 

“I’d like to think so.” 

“Haha! Well that’s good. Oh look! We gotta make a heart. Come here and lets put our butts together.” He couldn’t resist making lame jokes. 

“They don’t have an anatomy.” 

“They have legs. And legs go under the butt so… bazinga.” 

** ~* 20 minutes later *~  **

Zack sipped his tea and rolled El’s ear gently between his fingers. “You need to press the button with your pointy butt.” 

“These things don’t have ana-“ 

“Press the button with your pointy butt Jumin.” 

“You… are like a child.” 

“Less sassing and more…assing…?” 

Jumin scoffed and smirked. “… Alright, I pushed the button.” 

“With?” Zack arched his brow. 

Jumin sighed. “….With… my pointy butt.” 

“Gahahaha!” Elizabeth flinched and jumped off his lap. “Oh whoops! I scared El.”

“It’s Eliza… Wait. Was that your laugh just now?” 

“First Seven and now you. It’s not _that_ bad.” 

Jumin put his controller down and went to soothe Elizabeth. “…What _were_ you doing with Seven?” 

“He was helping me is all. We met up and I stayed over. Fun times.” Zack stretched and winced as he lifted himself from the couch. He got up and limped towards Butty to check on him. He was still good and drinking some water. 

“I see. Was it with that trip you took?” 

“Yeah. It was important. And Seven’s… I needed to make it up to him. I still do. Especially for all my actions up until now. Pancakes won’t cut it, I have to do something more.” He rolled the joystick in his hand. 

“… Right.” 

He looked out the window and sighed. He didn’t want to think about anything right now. The streets were still flooded but at least the rain had stopped. _I… don’t want to leave just yet._

“….You’re laugh is pretty terrible.” 

“Wow.” Zack scoffed, but he couldn’t stop from smiling. “I’m offended.” 

“As offended as you were when Yoosung said ‘heck’?” 

“Gahaha!! I forgot about that! That was a good one right!?GAHAHahaha! Poor guy. Don’t tell him anything yet okay?” Zack looked over at Jumin and put a finger to his own lips. “I wanna enjoy it. One more tiny prank okay?” 

“Hmmm, alright. I see no harm in it.” 

“Yeah. There ya go.” He put his controller down and smiled. He felt his fingers twitch. _No… Zack don’t._ He closed his eyes. “…You know. Ah, no. Nothing.” He sat back down and looked into the box. “Hey, you got a code for this drawing game, wanna play it?” 

“Yes. But, let’s take a break. I want to take your temperature.” 

“Aye. Alright.” Zack leaned his head back and opened his mouth. He felt the glass thermometer press against the bottom of his tongue. 

“Close your mouth now.” 

“Mmm, I harv ees, yer know.” Zack rolled the thermometer under his tongue and sighed. He felt his heart beating faster as he locked eyes with Jumin. _Stop it Zack. Don’t even think about it._ He darted his eyes away. _Don’t ever think about it again…_ Zack closed his eyes and took a slow breath. He took out the thermometer and looked at it closely. “My fevers dropped pretty significantly. I do feel a lot better than I did this morning.”

“Good.” 

Zack jumped, Jumin was leaning on the couch next to him, close to his ear. “Y-y-yeah.” _Oh god no, please back away._

“Do you want more soup?” His voice was almost… husky. Maybe because he was whispering? Whatever the case may be…

_How can you make that question sound so sexy?_ “Nope. Good on the soup.” He looked away. Bad idea, now he could feel Jumin’s voice right on the base of his neck. Right in the spot he loved the most. _Fuckin hell._

“Okay, let me get you something to drink at least. I think I’ll have some wine myself.” 

“Okay… I’ll download the game.” Jumin nodded and walked over to the kitchen. 

_Dammit… That was really close._ He took a deep breath and shook his head. 

** ~* 11 Minutes Later *~  **

“Jumin… stop drawing cats! You waste so much time drawing cats! You do realize this is a _timed_ game, right?” Zack rolled his eyes as he stared at the drawing. “Jumin. You suck at this game.” 

“I’m only making it better.” 

“Draw the cat last.” 

“You guess too fast. I must draw her first.” 

“Oh my god…” Zack leaned back. “We have like fifteen seconds. You know that right?” 

Jumin took a sip of wine. “I’m making it better.” 

“You’re drunk.” 

“Maybe just a bit.” Jumin leaned over and whispered, “Let me just enjoy this master piece.” 

“Ngh,” he blushed, “okay okay, go over there.” He pushed him away. _Dude, you’re killing me here._ “Jumin… that cat is ugly as shit.” 

“I spilled my wine.” 

“You are such a piece of work. Am I going to have to take care of you now?” 

“No. I’m just enjoying my time. It’s been a long while since I’ve had fun like this.” 

Zack grinned. “Yeah. Me too. I…” He bit his lip. “I… really am enjoying this… all of this.” 

“I didn’t know how interesting this all could be. Hmm… since you’ve joined I think I’ve been able to-“ 

“Relax?” He didn’t mean to rudely interrupt like that. He just felt the same thing. 

“Yes. Ever since we started playing these little games, or… well no. Ever since you got here, I haven’t thought about those women much or of work. I feel looser. Calmer.” 

“That might be the wine.” He chuckled. 

Jumin looked over and stared at him right in the eyes. “No. It’s you.” 

_Don’t you even dare Zack. You have no right._ He looked away and coughed. “Yeah… well… s-same here. I…” He didn’t know what to say. “Just… same here.” 

“And… Zack. We could postpone the party until you’re ready.” 

“… yeah. Okay.” 

“Now… I think I’ll draw Elizabeth in a tree.” 

Zack groaned. “You’re not. Supposed. To tell me. What you’re drawing. How many times do I have to say that?” 

** ~* 1 Hour Later *~  **

He was in a white room, so pure, so perfect. He wanted to mess it up. Each step he took caused a soft echo. He walked around the room, dragging his fingers along the wall, until suddenly he felt a hand moving with his. Each touch they made caused the room to turn black. Corrupting it? Maybe. He walked with the person, a man by the looks of the hand, until suddenly he couldn’t see. He could only feel the cold, silky, blindfold placed over his eyes. 

“Mmngh.” He heard his voice echo as that person was touching him. Slowly and methodically the fingers ran down his spine. He clamped his mouth shut as that person kissed the apex of his neck. Just as that person bit down he felt that hand grip his hip tightly. Being controlled like this was almost a godsend. In this state, he could finally relax and let go. He just had to focus on what felt good. No stressing over his money, no stressing on the pile up of bills, no stressing on what has failed, nothing. 

Who was doing this? Lloyd? No it wasn’t his hands, he could tell. He didn’t care, he’d just let go and give in. What harm would that do? 

He felt himself getting bent over something cool, perhaps a wooden table, that’s what he told himself. He pressed his forehead against the cool object, it felt nice to have such a harsh contrast against his heated skin. “Ah!” He could feel the fingers drawing small circles in his inner thighs. They were so warm. Every place they touched felt as if he was on fire. He couldn’t take it, he wanted to know who it was. 

He reached for the blindfold but was stopped. The person leaned over him and whispered into his ear. “You should just enjoy.” 

Wait… that voice. 

_Fuck. Oh god no! Wake up! Wake up!_

It was most certainly Jumin’s. His fingers were reaching closer to what he wanted most but… he couldn’t. He couldn’t let it happen. 

_Wake up!!!_

“Angh fuck!” He couldn’t stop the moan. He jerked backwards but Jumin kept him from moving. Suddenly, everything was starting to escalate quickly. What started as heavy petting was turning into full on sex. The feeling was almost foreign to him. Maybe because it was a dream but it was feeling too good. He could feel Jumin’s grip on his waist tighten to the point that he felt like he was being controlled. Surprisingly he didn’t care, it was always a fantasy of his to try this. It felt safer here in a dream but… there was a major problem. 

_Wake up!!!!_

“Zachary…” 

“Ahh your voice… not in my ear…” Zack gripped the table and leaned into him. “Ah! Haah! Please…” 

“Zack… Zachary!! Zachary wake up!! Wake up Zachary!” 

Zack gasped and opened his eyes. “Fuh- shit!” He sat up and started coughing. “Wh-what, ergh!, what happened?” 

“You fell asleep after we took another break and started making strange noises. I was afraid you were having a nightmare.” Jumin peered at his face. “You’re sweating. Perhaps you should take another shower.” 

Zack looked away. _Son of a bitch._ He nodded. “Okay… Okay yeah.” 

“Let me help you-“ 

_Wait… I’m fucking hard as hell!_ “No! I-I mean n-no thank you. I can walk.” 

“Zachary, don’t be ridiculous.” Jumin narrowed his eyes. “I don’t want you putting pressure on your ankle. Now come on.” He started to pull the blanket away. 

“NO!” Zack gripped the blanket tightly and blushed. “I! I’m tired still. I’m going to keep sleeping.” He rolled onto his side. “Thank you, good night.” He bit his lip and dug his nails into his wrist. _Dammit! Dammit you stupid bastard. God!_

The couch shifted. He felt a heat emanating on his back. “Zachary.” 

“J-Jumin please, not so close.” He gripped the couch cushions. 

“What’s the matter? Ever since you took your temperature you’ve been acting a little strange.” He leaned closer to his ear. “Are you okay?” 

“Jumin please! Your voice!” 

“My… voice? Is there something unsatisfactory about it?” Jumin almost sounded hurt by that, but that only annoyed Zack more. 

“Oh don’t act so innocent!” He looked back. “You… urgh… J-just don’t whisper in my ear like that. It…” _Turns me on, but fuck no I won’t say that._ “It…” 

“It what?” Jumin arched a brow, but it almost looked as if he were…smirking? 

_Wait… wait wait wait wait wait!!!_ “What the hell!? What is with _that_ look!?” Zack turned around fully and glared. “Are you drunk?” 

“No.” 

He grumbled under his breath. “You…” 

“I’m perfectly sober. Now, what’s wrong?” 

Zack narrowed his eyes. “Nothing.” He turned back, but not before looking at Jumin’s hands. It was just like in his dream. He frowned. Whether Jumin got the knew or not, he couldn’t think of him like that. Jumin was helping him and being a good host, it was… he felt perverted for thinking of him in that way. Maybe it was just an innocent dream but he still felt bad. He knew he couldn’t stop himself from feeling attracted but he needed to kill it there. 

_Jumin is just a host and maybe a friend.  
And he’s also someone very important. I’m just a tourist. I’m here to move on. And… I… I’m a horrible partner. What am I thinking? It’s not like I’m going date Jumin but… still… Am I being ridiculous? I mean it’s just a sexual attraction. But… I mean I can’t do that to him. He’d probably be disgusted or creeped out. He’s just trying to help me, it’s messed up of me to… DAMN THESE THOUGHTS! UGH! _

“Zachary.” 

“Y-Yeah?” He looked up at him only to quickly look away. 

“Did you have a nightmare?” 

He gripped the blanket. He couldn’t move yet. “Yeah. Dreamt that I was… uhm…suffocating. That’s all.” He closed his eyes and tried to think of the most disgusting things he could. That seemed to kill his erection enough for him to get up without it being awkward and awfully embarrassing. “Okay. Okay.” He took a breath and coughed. “I’m going to shower. What time is it?” 

“Five.” 

“Can you heat up that soup again?” 

“Say no more.” Jumin helped him up and took him to the bathroom. “I’m going to feed the cats. Muffin is doing fine.” 

“It’s Butty and okay.” Once the bathroom door was closed Zack gripped the sink and washed his face with cold water. “Dammit… you idiot.” He couldn’t get the dream out of his head. “Dammit!” He’d just have to deal with it. At least, he figured, he was in the shower. It didn’t make him feel any better though. He just replayed the dream over and over and let, he hated himself right now.“Mnf ah! Haah!” He sunk to the shower floor and gripped his hair in agony. “I am so, so, _so_ sorry Jumin.” 

_It’s just physical attraction. What’s wrong with that?_  
A lot of things. I shouldn’t… I mean… It just feels wrong.  
So what? You haven’t done anything since your little one night stand. It’s not like you’re doing anything-

Zack shook his head. He didn’t care. He just felt wrong about it. 

** ~* 5:30 pm*~  **

“I’m starting to feel worse.” Zack sighed as he sat down at the counter. 

“It’s because you used so much energy playing those games.” 

“Yeah, maybe…” _I feel guilty._ “I feel tired still.” 

“One night of rest isn’t going to magically heal you. You need to keep it up.” Jumin handed him a bowl of more soup. Zack nodded in thanks and took out his phone. “They’re worried about you.” 

“Yeah. I can see that. I just didn’t feel like texting earlier.” He read through the texts and smiled. 

“You seem to like talking with us.” 

He nodded as he slowly ate. “It’s not you guys that I hate, it’s the fundraiser itself. And V. I mean… sorry I know he’s your friend and all-“ He shrugged, he didn’t feel that bad about saying that. 

> Zack has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **ZEN:** Zack! Are you okay!? 
> 
> **707:** Jumin told us everything! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang** : What were you thinking? Going out in the storm like that?!
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** T_T Zack! We were so worried T_T 
> 
> **Zack** : Sorry. I was worried about Butty
> 
> **707:** It’s awesome you saved the cat…but…
> 
> **ZEN:** What if you died?! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** : I was so scared! I wanted to cry! 
> 
> **ZEN:** He’s not lying…Yoosung’s with me right now. He came over when his university got the warning. We were both worried! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Jumin said you were soaking wet and had been treading through the streets! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** He said you were all cut up and had a high fever. 
> 
> **707:** Zack, are you safe at least? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah, sorry I didn’t get on sooner. I was just resting. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** At least you’re finally taking a break. 
> 
> **ZEN:** No kidding. You’re always like boom boom boom
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** : Make sure you eat spicy foods! And clean up those cuts! 
> 
> **707:** I should’ve stopped you from leaving.
> 
> **ZEN:** Huh? What do you mean? 
> 
> **707:** Why did you keep pushing yourself? 
> 
> **Zack:** I just  
>  **Zack:** I thought if I ignored it, it’d go away
> 
> **707:** I saw the signs and I did nothing
> 
> **ZEN:** What? 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You saw?  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You mean on the monitor? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** You couldn’t have stopped him Luciel. 
> 
> **707:** I could’ve
> 
> **Zack:** Seven. It’s cool. I did this to myself. Not you.  
>  **Zack:** And if I hadn’t left, Butty would be dead right now
> 
> **707:** I  
>  **707:** I guess
> 
> **Zack:** I have something to say though  
>  **Zack:** I’m not doing the party
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han mentioned that we should postpone it
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** : You sure tho? 
> 
> **Zack:** If anything, I can’t do it in three days. It’s impossible.  
>  **Zack:** I want a meeting with all of you. I want to meet you guys. Get to see who you all are
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Yeah! We’ve been talking about that ever since you mentioned it. 
> 
> **Zack:** I want V there too
> 
> **707:**  
>  **707:** Okay. I’ll tell him.
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I have been arranging our schedules so we can meet soon. 
> 
> **Zack:** Actually, let’s make the day we were going to hold the party the day we meet. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Excellent. That will work perfectly. 
> 
> **707:** that sounds good
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Yeah! I had that date cleared out anyways. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Same here. 

Jumin handed Zack his medicine. “Here, some water.” 

“Thanks. Look.” He showed him his phone. 

“Good idea. Tell them I agree. I’m going to make you some tea.” 

“Thanks. Sorr-“ 

Jumin narrowed his eyes. 

“Right.” He smiled sheepishly. “Thank you.”  

> **Zack:** Jumin said he likes that idea. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Ugh. I feel so bad for you.  
>  **ZEN:** You’re with the worst person right now
> 
> **Zack:** It’s not bad at all. I’m pretty comfy. 
> 
> **707:** Plus you have Elly there to heal you. 
> 
> **Zack:** Fur sure
> 
> **ZEN:** ACHOO! 
> 
> **Zack:** Dude, why do you write that out? Are you actually sneezing or are you being silly? 
> 
> **ZEN:** I’m actually sneezing! 
> 
> **Zack:** Then why are you writing it out!? 
> 
> **ZEN:** To emphasize just how much I sneeze! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** He’s just dramatic. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Wow. What the heck? You know I have major allergies
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** AFJ!?!?RN 
> 
> **ZEN:** What? 
> 
> **Zack:** … you… 
> 
> **707:** Offense! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You said the H-word ZEN!!! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Not this again… 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yoosung… they’re messing with you. 
> 
> **Zack:** That is disgusting ZEN. How dare you! 
> 
> **707:** Do you kiss people with that nasty mouth!? 
> 
> **Zack:** I am going to get all SJW on your ass! 
> 
> **707** : Get him! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Please… you two are so weird. It’s _heck_. I didn’t say a bad word!
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** ZEN stop!!! What if Zack tells others!? People will think we’re insensitive!! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yoosung calm down! It’s a prank! 
> 
> **Zack:** Oh yeah? 
> 
> **707:** Take a look at this! 

Seven posted some bogus article on how the word ‘heck’ was causing national incidents. He even went as far as to make fake Twitter and Tumblr posts of people griping about how offensive that word was. He stifled his laugh as he read through them. 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** See!? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh brother. It’s not real. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Heck is not a bad word Yoosung. 

Zack chuckled. “Look.” Jumin quickly read through the chat and pulled out his phone. 

> Jumin Han has entered the chatroom 
> 
> **Jumin Han:** ZEN, never do business with me. I do not hire people with such disgusting and fowl language. You better hope I don’t contact the other talent agencies and inform them of this hideous behavior. 
> 
> Jumin Han has left the chatroom

“GAHAHAHA! Oh my god thank you! Thank you so much!” Zack excitedly read through his phone and started to PM Seven. The two started planning one last final piece of ‘evidence’. 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** SEE!? 
> 
> **ZEN:** Omg… seriously? 
> 
> **707:** You heard it from the CEO himself.
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** ZEN, he’s just playing along. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Jumin doesn’t _play_ _along_. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Keep in mind that Zack is with him right now
> 
> **Zack:** I didn’t do anything. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well that’s true… Yeah… yeah!  
>  **ZEN:** Zack stop messing with me. 

Zack got the okay from Seven.  

> **Zack:** ZEN… you are seriously making me angry. I’m telling Jumin. 
> 
> **ZEN:** What?  
>  **ZEN:** Wait are you serious? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** He isn’t serious. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Wait…  
>  **ZEN:** WHAT THE HELL!?  
>  **ZEN:** ZACK!  
>  **ZEN:** OMG!!!!!!
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** WHAT!? 
> 
> **ZEN** : I got an email from a talent agency! They  
>  **ZEN:** Is the word heck so bad!?  
>  **ZEN:** I didn’t know!  
>  **ZEN:** I’m so so so sorry! Please tell him to call them!!

Zack bit his lip. He was feeling a little bad now. 

> **ZEN:** Oh my god…  
>  **ZEN:** Oh…my god…
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** I think you’re taking this joke too far you two  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Confess. 
> 
> **707:** Okay…
> 
> **Zack** : Sorry Zen
> 
> **707** : Yeah… sorry. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Wait are you serious!?  
>  **ZEN:** SERIOUSLY!? 
> 
> **Zack:** Sorry… 
> 
> **707:** The emails and all that are a fake
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh thank god 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** You two. This better be a lesson for the both of you. Look at what your pranks did. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Maaan I wrote apology letters… 
> 
> **707:** I know. I got one.  
>  **707:** It was super cute lolololol
> 
> **Zack:** Lol send it to me. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Zachary Rein! Luciel! Focus! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Man. To think Zack was just as evil as Seven. Now we have to watch out for these two imps! 
> 
> **Zack:** Lol sorry
> 
> **707:** Can I just apologize for the next prank now? Or… do I have to wait? 
> 
> **Zack:** Can I just blame the medicine? It makes me mischievous. 
> 
> **707:** Lolol 
> 
> **Zack:** I’m messing with you. Really sorry. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Eh it’s cool
> 
> **707:** Lol that was fast
> 
> **Zack:** Wait for it… 
> 
> **ZEN:** But, 
> 
> **Zack:** There it is
> 
> **ZEN:** you two have to make it up to me
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What about me? T_T 
> 
> **ZEN:** You can join in too YS
> 
> **707:** Well dang, what do ya want? 
> 
> **ZEN:** You’ll see
> 
> **Zack:** Boo
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I’m just gonna cash in mine now.  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Seven, can you stop this group on LOLOL called ModernWarriors? Or at least take a peak at them when you have the time? 
> 
> **707:** Oh yeah. I know who you’re talking about. Dealio ( 〃￣ ω ￣〃ゞ
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** And Zack 
> 
> **Zack:** What’s up
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I like strawberry cake. And my favorite show is Miracle Girl. I like Miki the most. 
> 
> **Zack:** Gotcha. 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Well, then I’m glad that’s over. Zachary, is Jumin still with you? 
> 
> **Zack:** Yup
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** Good, I just sent him his new schedule.  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Also… Zack.  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** Thank you for giving me that day off. Though I feel bad for saying it, because of the storm I am able to enjoy a three day vacation. 
> 
> **Zack:** No problem. You deserve it. 

“Hey, Jaehee said she sent you a schedule.” 

Jumin handed him his tea. “I’ll look at it later.” He leaned on the counter and sipped his wine. 

“You gonna be okay?” 

“I can handle my wine.” Jumin savored his drink. 

“Mmm.” He glanced at Jumin’s hands. _I need to stop._ “I can’t drink wine. I get really… flirty with wine.” 

“Flirty?” 

“It’s really embarrassing.” He suddenly got a flashback and grimaced. “Ewgh… yeah it’s really bad. Last time I drank wine I ended up in lingerie. God.” He rolled his eyes. 

Jumin eyed him as he drank more. 

> **ZEN:** So when are you going home Zack? 
> 
> **Zack:** Pretty soon. Hopefully.  
>  **Zack:** I’m having some tea so I think that’ll get me tired enough. Hopefully I can sleep soon. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** It’s still pretty early  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Hopefully you can get a full night’s rest. 
> 
> **707:** Yeah! Hey I should come over! 
> 
> **Zack:** Yeah! 

“Hey Jumin, Seven should come ov-“ 

“No.” 

“Oh come on… Please?” 

“He tortures cats.” 

“He doesn’t.” _Probably._ “He really helped me. If he comes over… I’ll make those cakes.” 

“You were supposed to make them for _me_ anyways.” 

“Yeah? Well now I’ll only make them if Seven comes over.” Zack smirked. 

“Tsk.” Jumin sighed. “Fine. But I’m not letting him near either cat.” 

> **Zack** : He said yes! 
> 
> **707:** SLEEEEP OVEEERRRR!!!! 
> 
>    **Zack:** YES!!! 
> 
> **ZEN:** What are you two? Teenagers? 
> 
> **Zack:** you’re just jealous 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I want to go to! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** You have school
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** … you’re right. I have another exam.  。゜゜ (´ Ｏ `)  ゜゜。
> 
> **Zack:** Shutting down LOLOL for two weeks is still your penalty Yoosung
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What!? Seriously!? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** You should do that anyways. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah no joke. 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Ugh… fine…
> 
> **Zack:** You’ll feel better if you give your classes your all
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I know… 
> 
> **707:** Lolol! YS! You’re doing this for the sake of LOLOL! If you don’t do this everyone will suffer! But! If you do!!! You will be the Superhero Yoosung that you always knew you were!! 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** You’re right!  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I will do this for LOLOL!!! 
> 
> **ZEN:** Whatever floats your boat lol! 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** If that gets you to study then that’s all that matters. 
> 
> **Zack:** Atta boy 
> 
> **707** : I totally take selfies! Then ya’ll can meet mystery man. 
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah! Only me and Yoosung haven’t seen him yet 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I know, so unfair. 

Jumin finished his glass. “Zachary, let me take you to bed. At least rest while you’re texting.” 

“I’m sitting down.” 

“You’re all hunched over. And before you lay down, let me check your bruise.” 

“Lookin at it isn’t gonna heal it.” Zack straightened up. “Just check it now.” He pulled his shirt off and stood up. He leaned over the counter as he typed. 

“It’s still… it’s purple.”

“It’ll heal. Pfft hahaha.” He leaned out further to feel the stretch on his spine. It hurt, but it at least relieved the tired ache in his body. Hopefully tomorrow he’d be able to move better. 

“Za-… I’m going to get something. Stay there.” 

“Yup.” 

> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I bet it’s fun being there in the high life
> 
> **ZEN:** Oh please, you’re surrounded by C-hair
> 
> **707:** But! Jumin has a PlayStation and an Xbox! 
> 
> **Zack:** And a switch
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** What!? No way 
> 
> **Zack:** And a bunch of games. Signed by the cast and all that. All the exclusive stuff
> 
> **707:** No way… They actually gave it to him
> 
> **Zack:** I’m jealous  
>  **Zack:** But why do they give it to him? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang** : We did business with a couple of tech companies and game companies for a project
> 
> **Zack:** A cat project? 
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** No thank god. It was with one of our branches. But I think some of the gifts came from President Han and his exes. 
> 
> **Zack:** Oh, that makes more sense. I think  
>  **Zack:** He didn’t take off the peelies
> 
> **707:** Ugh! That always bothers meeee  
>  **707:** He should send them to me. 
> 
> **Zack:** Lol that would’ve been fun
> 
> **707:** Lolol I wanna run over there right now.  
>  **707:** Oh well, soon
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Once I finish my finals I’m coming too
> 
> **707:** Party at Jumin’s! 
> 
> **ZEN:** No!
> 
> **Zack:** Whoo! 

Jumin came back with some sort of salve. “I’m going to put this on. Will you be able to sleep on your stomach?”

“Mmhmm.” He sat back down and turned his back to Jumin. He could feel him getting closer. “W-wait!” _Idiot! You do realize he’d have to touch your back right? And your bruise is on_ ** _your_** **_spine_** _. His hands will be on your_ ** _spine_** _like in the_ ** _dream_** _!_ “I… I can do it myself.” He grimaced at that lame excuse. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. You wouldn’t be able to reach. It won’t hurt, I’ll be gentle.” 

“I… I can’t.” 

“What do you mean? Are you allergic to this brand?” 

Zack leaned into the chair and shook his head. _You’re an adult. You can deal with this._ “I… uhm was scared of it hurting. Go ahead.” He gripped the chair and braced himself as he felt a cold, lotion like, substance touch into his skin. It smelled like medicine and it was honestly a little overpowering. If he could smell the pungent scent of antibiotics and aloe vera, then it must be awful for Jumin. He flinched when he felt the fingers drag across his skin. It hurt but it also felt like that dream. _When… his fingers ran down my spine and one hand gripped my hip while the other started to tease the head of my-_ “Ahn!” He slapped his hand over his mouth. _REALLY!? Did I just fucking MOAN? Out loud?! It’s over. My life is over. I’m going to die from embarrassment._

“Are…you okay?” 

“Yup! Yup yup yup! I’m totally cool. Cool cool cool cool cool.” He pressed his forehead to the backing of the chair. “Just got surprised cuz it… hurt so much.” 

“My apologizes… I’ll try to be more careful.” 

Hugs were fine. He liked hugs. Sure he was super touch starved, but hugs didn’t do anything to him. They were just comforting. This… Maybe it was the sickness but the touches felt amplified. Or maybe he was just a pervert. _It’s probably that…_

“This will help soothe it.” 

“Yup.” He arched his back. “Ow… that spot hurts the most.” 

“It’s where the color is deepest. Right here,” he pressed his fingers to the bas of his spine, “about four inches up from here.” 

“Ah! O-oh.” He mentally slapped himself. 

“I don’t see any splinters.” 

“That’s good.” Zack looked back. “Are you done yet?” 

“Yes. Now let me check your ankle. I have a lotion that can soothe the muscles. It might help.” He knelt down in front of him and took his ankle. Jumin gently undid the wrap and dragged his fingers up to his calf. “…” 

“U-uh sure okay.” He tried to put his attention on his phone.  

> **ZEN:** I was trying to tell them that I don’t like wasabi chips but it looks like I’m doing the add
> 
> **Jaehee Kang** : Oh, those ones are so spicy
> 
> **ZEN:** Yeah, which is why they’re having me dress in my Zorro outfit
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** ( ＠＾ ◡＾ ) I look forward to it!  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I should buy them in bulk 
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** : Ugh… I love those chips… but if your perfect face is going to be mocking me while I eat it…  
>  **Yoosung** **☆** **:** I’ll buy more if you sign the bags ZEN :D 
> 
> **707:** Ooo! Me too! I’ll make bank 
> 
> **ZEN:** Well, for my friends, I’ll give you the special brand. There’ll only be ten in all of South Korea. 
> 
> **707:** Ooo! We get the exclusive stuff  
>  **707:** ☆⌒ヽ(*'、^*)chu  
>  **707:** I feel so special~
> 
> **Yoosung** **☆** **:** Sign. It.
> 
> **Jaehee Kang:** ( ＠＾ ◡＾ )  
>  **Jaehee Kang:** I look forward to it! 

Zack bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. “Jumin… c-can you not hold my leg like that?” 

“Ah, does it hurt?” 

“I’m going to be honest. You’re… it’s…” He blushed and gripped his phone. “It’s… been…” He couldn’t do it. “Yeah it hurts.” 

“I’m sorry I-“ 

“You’regettingmehornyokay!? I haven’t done it in a long time and it’s been forever since I’ve been touched like that!” 

The room went dead silent. Zack covered his face and dug his nails into his cheeks. He lowered his hands and sighed. “I’m… going to go brush my teeth.” He gripped the counter and limped towards the bathroom. _Fuuuuckkiiinngg kiiiiilll meeee._

 

After washing up, Zack limped over to the guest room and put Butty in his cage. He climbed into the covers and sighed. “Dammit…” He rolled over onto his side being careful to not let the covers touch his back and blew his nose. He didn’t see Jumin when he got out, maybe he was embarrassed or uncomfortable and decided to leave. Or was hiding. Zack laughed at that thought. “Ridiculous.” 

He felt guilty and ashamed, but he could deal with it. When he thought of the day as a whole, he had a ton of fun. For a whole day he didn’t think of anything. He felt normal and stable and that was nice. It got a little awkward at the end there, but even then he didn’t think about his situation. 

Tomorrow he’d try to reach the apartment. If anything he’d be able to get the safe and then he’d find a motel and hang out until he left for home. Maybe meeting with the RFA would be pointless, but he didn’t totally mind. If anything he’d just use the meeting as a goodbye to this whole mess. 

Just as he was getting comfortable, there was a knock at the door. 

“It’s not locked.” Zack sat up and squinted as the room flooded with light. “H-hey…” 

Jumin stepped in and looked around. “Why are you sleeping in here? What if you need help?” 

_Wow, seriously? Why are you acting so calm?_ “You’re just across the hall. I can text you or just-“ 

Jumin gripped the doorknob. “I… am…sorry to have unintentionally excited you.” 

“Oh god don’t say it like _that_.” Zack groaned and buried his face into the pillow. “Uggghhh! I shouldn’t had said anything!” He yelled into the pillow. 

“I’m glad you did.” Jumin sounded a bit strained. 

Zack leaned up on his elbows and coughed. “Wh-ugh-why?” He rubbed his throat. 

“Just sleep in my bed. I have your cough medicine and some cough drops for you.” 

“Just bring them here.” He looked back. “You didn’t answer my question.” 

Jumin sighed. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” 

“Ha! I should be saying the same to you. I… god it’s so embarrassing.” He rubbed his temples. “I’m so sorry Jumin. That was… it’s inappropriate.” 

“I have that effect on a lot of people.” 

“Oh brother. Shut up.” He rolled his eyes. “Just tell me you’re grossed out and then we can go on our merry way.” 

“…” 

“But before you go, please give me your cough drops.” 

“I…” Jumin awkwardly shifted in his stance. “I see. I’ll go get them.” 

“Thanks, sorry to be so demanding.” 

“It’s…” He sighed and walked off. Zack rested his head in his arms and sniffed. When Jumin came back they didn’t say anything to each other. He was about to say goodnight when the bed dipped. “I’ll stay here.” Jumin was facing towards him. “To make sure you and Butty are okay.” 

Zack shook his head. “I… tch, fine.” He turned his head away and rolled the cough drop in his mouth. _Weirdo. What’s your deal?_

“Good night, Zachary.” 

He chuckled, _why do you always say my full name?_ “Good night, Jumin.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! I'm back from vacationing and exams. yay. 
> 
> HEY! 
> 
> Do YOU want to draw some art of this story!?!? Well by all means go ahead!!! Just make sure you tag the story you're referencing and it's all good. 
> 
> I don't have a tumblr or any other sm for a lot of reasons, mainly I have a very obsessive personality. Me + social media = disaster, so if you make art and would like me to see it (I wanna see it!) then tell me here. Thank you! 
> 
> One of ya'll asked for a Zack description. Sure sure 
> 
> Zachary Noel Dominic Rein  
> Age: 23  
> Height: 5'4" or 162 cm  
> Occupation: Unemployed / technically a part timer at the bakery Pure Joy. (Does some cooking, mostly labor work)  
> Race: Mexican/German  
> Hair type/ Color: Curly, unruly hair/ Reddish blonde  
> Eye Color: Blue with grey near iris  
> Clothing type: Casual. Jeans and buffalo pattern or a hoodie and jeans.  
> Accessories: Sometimes wears glasses retro square type. Wears his wedding ring, simple silver band with first lines of vows engraved on the outside. (To the person who brings my life light)
> 
> He has a lot freckles on his face and shoulders and lightly scattered ones on his arms and legs.  
> Either looks lost in thought or has a serious resting bitch face. 
> 
> Hope that helps lolol.  
> Anyways I hope ya'll enjoy. I know it may seem like Zack is moving a little fast in his feelings but... hey he's got needs too. He just feels bad about it.  
> Also potential sleep over party time? We'll see~


	14. Day 9: Who Gave You the Right?

Zack hated how reality always found a way to punch you in the face. It was 8 am when Zack awoke. He felt good, albeit a little awkward from yesterday’s slight confession, but all in all he felt good. He didn’t feel as achey and he could actually breathe better than before. He took his shower and checked his bruise, whatever that salve was was really doing wonders. The pain hadn’t left but he could feel the subtle changes whenever he leaned back against something. He didn’t have any dreams, thankfully, and he felt energized enough to do some chores or maybe even go back to the apartment. According to the weather report, it was safe to go back outside.

Suddenly that good night’s rest had slipped away once he went through his emails. A slow onset of a headache started to creep up into the back of his eyes. That damn RFA party coming up in three days. “God I need to send out cancellations.” Thirty-two new emails sat in his inbox. Some asking for dates, some cancelling because of his lack of responses, some new, and some old. He rubbed his lower lip and shook his knee. He started to chew his nails as he opened his calendar. 

If he gets back to the apartment by 3 he’d be able to head to the Yi’s before they closed. He could assess the damage he had done to their shed as well. It’d be best to check the documents, oh and he had to get the safe. Maybe then he could tackle more of files. Right… and he needed to pay for some wedding stuff today. Oh and shit, his car payments were due. _And_ had to update his resume and do some job searching. Ah hell, today was also his nieces birthday. He forgot to buy a gift and send a card. He looked at his regular email. His body went cold as he read through his bills and alerts he was getting from the bank. 

It was… too much. 

The final nail to his anxiety was an email from his uncle saying how angry he was about how expensive his flight had been only for the wedding to be called off and how he demanded Zack pay him back for it. He bit through his thumb nail and hissed in pain as blood formed at the soft flesh. “Ow…” He stood up and collapsed back down, his ankle was still too tender for him to walk properly. “… hell!” He slammed his fist on the bedside table. “Ouch dammit!”All the yelling sent him into another coughing fit. Luckily for him he was alone in the pent house, Jumin had gone to the vet with Butty leaving Zack the luxury to vent his frustrations to himself. He dialed his uncles number. 

“Do you know what time it is esé?!” His uncle finally answered after the fifth call. 

Zack started to bite through his other nails.“I can’t pay for you!” 

“You called for _that!?_ I have work in the morning you know!” 

“I can’t pay for you! I’m trying my damndest to make ends meet and this is making things harder!” He bit off his other thumb nail. 

“Oh boo hoo. Pobre niño pequeño. Why don’t you go running to your mama already!? Look _,_ your problems aren’t anything special! You and the rest of the world are trying to make ends meet. And also, you reap what you sow!

Zack gritted his teeth. “¡Cállate!” 

His uncle scoffed. 

Zack stood up. “If you don’t agree with my lifestyle then why even come to my wedding!?” 

“Look, unlike you, I actually have a job. I’ve had a long week and… you _do_ realize what’s happening this month right? How inconsiderate are you?!” 

“Month?” Zack gasped. “I… I’m so so so sorry. I… I’m sorry!” He gripped his hair and felt panic running through his body. “I’m so sorry!” 

“Uh huh, yeah now you remember. I tell you every time, Zachary! You and your worries… who gave you the right to act like you’re so special!? It’s her anniversary and you’re here griping about money?! Tsk, some things never change.” 

“I’m so sorry!” He rubbed his neck. “Please, I’m sorry. I… things have been-“ 

“Hectic? Yeah, it has for us too. Thanks for _running off_ during this time. Tsk, your mother should’ve taught you better and not have been so lax with you! That’s what happens when you’re not cut out for parenting. You get shitty kids.” 

Zack collapsed back onto the bed. “Don’t… don’t talk about my mother like that.” 

“Hmph. Well, I’m not letting up my demands. I spent a lot of money to go there, and I went for _her._ I put my differences aside for _her_. So the least you can do is pay for what I did for you and her. I’m done with this.” His uncle hung up. 

Zack threw his phone at the headboard and got up. He couldn’t handle this right now. He needed a drink. 

 

“Son of a… Dammit!” It seemed Jumin had up and locked up the wine cabinet. “What,” he banged his fist against the metal doors, “you don’t trust me or something?” He banged his fist on the door three more times before defeatedly laying on the couch. 

He felt awful, how could he forget what month it was? 

**~* 9 years ago *~**

The sunlight was shining brightly as Zachary stood inside the church. The glare of the window made him squint as he held his rosary and muttered his prayers. His mother stood beside him praying vigorously, he knew what it was for. His tía, Noelle, was in the hospital for drunk driving. He watched his mother as she prayed. She was trying not to cry but angry tears still rolled down her face. He wasn’t sure how to handle all of this. Just yesterday, the start of his summer vacation before heading to high school, he was laughing with his tía and listened to her stories of her trip to Ecuador. He leaned how precious love was from her stories, how sacred and beautiful it was. He learned how wonderful it was to be with the one you love til death due you part. Dying alone, she would say, was the worst death imaginable.

Now, he stood there holding his rosary tightly for his mothers sake. He didn’t blame God or anyone for what happened. He knew his tía loved to drink, he just didn’t know the severity of it. When he learned of her depression it only led to his fear of dying alone more and more. As he stood there muttering and moving along with his mother, he looked up towards the cross and bit the bottom of his lip. Something just didn’t feel right. He felt sick all of a sudden. He felt fearful. 

And, his fears were met. As his mother was praying his father walked in silently (he didn’t go to Mass at the time), he walked up to his mother and he whispered into her ear. Zack watchedas his mother collapsed to the floor crying. People pushed past him to help her up as she cried loudly. He gripped his rosary tighter until the beads felt like they were pushing into his bones. 

 

At the funeral he just stared blankly at the closed casket. He couldn’t hear the others, just his own thoughts. _Why_? He looked up at the ceiling and clenched his fist. He saw the pictures of the car wreck, he saw what she looked like when she was rushed to the hospital, and now he had to accept that she would never laugh with him again. He’d never hear her stories again. He wanted to talk to someone. He wanted to understand what was happening, to reflect, to remember, but no one would talk to him. It wasn’t soon after that he was sent to the Nature Camp due to his sudden anger issues. 

**~* Present day *~**

Zack stared up at the ceiling. He wanted to go back to yesterday, to have fun and laugh and just let everything go. He wished for anyone to be here. He was just so angry. He hadn’t felt this type of anger since he was teen. It was as if a monster was trying to control his actions. It clawed at his heart and screamed in his ears trying to push him over the edge until he hurt himself by punching a wall or hitting a table or breaking glass and gripping the shards in his bare hands.

The door unlocked. 

Zack shot up and felt relief, that monster was starting to quiet down. “Jum…in?” He took a step back as two women walked in. “You have _got_ to be kidding me.” It was Sarah and Glam Choi walking in like they owned the place. When he wished for anyone he didn’t mean _them_. 

Glam arched a brow. “Uh, exactly who are you?” She crossed her arms. 

Sarah however looked like she had just seen a ghost. She opened and closed her mouth as her mind tried to process why Zack of all people was here, in Jumin’s clothing no less. 

“I’m… a friend fo Jumin’s.” Zack took another step back. He didn’t quite know what to do right now. What if Jumin didn’t want people to know Zack was here? Although, a lot of his staff new. 

“I highly doubt that. Jumin wouldn’t be _friends_ with someone like _you._ ” 

Zack’s eyebrow twitched. He could hear that monster again whispering for him to get angry. _Lady. You do_ ** _not_** _want to tango with me right now._ “What do you want?” He snapped. 

Glam glared. “Excuse me? Who do you think you are, talking to _me_ like that?” 

Sarah shook away her nerves. “He looks like street trash, Glam Choi. It’s best to just call security and through this garbage out.” 

Zack eyed her sharply. “Wow, look everyone, the silicone dye job just tried to make an insult. Tell me, about how much of you is actually _real_?” 

“How dare you!” Sarah stepped forward. 

Zack scoffed. “If you want to wait for Jumin, fine, but leave me alone.” 

Glam narrowed her eyes. “What is this? Who gave you the right to mouth off to us?” 

_Who gives me the right?_ “What… I can’t have my own opinion!? I can’t ask for a moment of peace!?” He grabbed the TV remote and threw it at wall. Pieces of it flew off and scattered across the floor. The women flinched and took a defensive step back. Zack tensed and looked away. “I’m so sorry. I… I’m sorry I just…” He hated this. He just scared those women, regardless of their attitude towards him. He felt like a monster. 

“What is going on here?” Jumin walked in and slammed the door. “Leave him alone.” 

“Jumin!” Glam stepped behind him. “Who is this man?” 

“Get out.” He glared at them. 

“Jumin! We came to check on you! Now that the streets have been cleared-“ 

“I didn’t ask you two to check on me. I have all that I need right here.”

Zack picked up the remote and carefully bent down to grab the pieces. Even Elizabeth was cowering. He dug the shards of the remote into his palm and took slow breaths. He was acting irrational. He just needed to accept that he messed up and deal with it on his own later. He could move more money around, he’d find a way. Then everyone would be happy. 

“Now don’t be so shy.” Sarah clung to Jumin. “We came all this way here, we should at least go out and have something nice for ourselves! Besides, I believe that lunatic was just leaving.” 

“He threw a remote at us! He tried to attack us!” Glam said sternly. “A man like that should not be in your life Jumin. He’s toxic!” 

_Toxic…_ Jumin pulled away from her. “It is very unbecoming of a person to treat others as you do Sarah. It’s disgusting. Zachary, did you throw a re-” 

“Yes.” Zack carefully stood up and threw away the pieces. He didn’t want to talk right now. 

“You see!? He doesn’t even sound sorry.” 

Zack looked back, he wanted to tell her to shut up. “Tsk.” When he opened his palm he couldn’t help but wince as the shared pieces dislodged from his skin. Luckily he wasn’t bleeding but the marks left behind would probably last for a good hour. 

“Oh Jumin sweetie, I’ll call security or the police. You just get ready.” Glam smiled. “Your father wanted to enjoy a nice breakfast with all four of us.” 

Zack got up and went back to the bedroom. He just didn’t feel like hearing all of this stupid drama. He slammed the door behind him and sat on down on the bed staring at his palm. This was bad. A dark feeling was consuming and if he didn’t do something he’d just fall into an endless pit. He would usually drink in situations like this but… 

Zack pulled out his phone. No one was on. Maybe he could just write and try to figure out his feelings, that’d be okay. His fingers ghosted over the keys as he took a deep breath. He typed out the first word… and then closed the app. He couldn’t do it. If he talked about what happened how would that affect everyone else? He didn’t have the right to bring everyone else down. It was best to keep it locked up. 

“Jumin! Wait!” 

“I’m done talking, you’re wasting my time. I’ll have Zack apologize later, but for now. Leave.” 

“But the breakfast!” 

“Tell my father I will accompany him, and only him, for dinner as I’ve already made breakfast plans. Good day.” The front door closed. There was a moment of silence and then the guest door opened. “Those women, honestly.” He stepped inside and ran his fingers through his hair. "I’m going to find out who let them in and fire them. I gave the staff specific orders to _not_ let those women in. I also need to find out who gave them the key to my-“ Zack jumped on Jumin, the sudden weight made them collapse to the floor. “Are you-“ 

“I hate this!” Zack yelled into the CEO’s chest. “What did I d-do wrong!? **Why!?** Why can’t I just breathe for a damn second!?” He gripped Jumin’s shirt tighter. “Dammit! Every time I start having fun everything fucks up! I feel so damn angry all the time! It’s like I’m not even myself half the time!” 

Jumin gently held him back. “What happened?” 

“Just! I hate it! I keep quiet all the **time** , I know it’s not healthy but, god!! When is it okay for me to just talk!?” He looked up at him. “Every time I try to just… just speak my feelings someone tells me that I’m selfish and I should get over myself! They say ‘who gave you the right?’ I’m sorry!” He tried not to cry. “I’m sorry! I just!! It hurts me okay!? I’m only human! I can’t take it anymore! I know that other people have hard lives, I know that my problems are petty compared to others but!! Dammit!!” He pounded his fist repeatedly into the floor. 

Jumin gripped his hands and shook his head. “That’s enough.” 

Zack bit his lip and tried to calm himself down. “I’m sor-” 

Jumin gripped his chin. “Don’t. Don’t say you’re sorry.” Jumin sat up and carefully pulled Zack into a gentle embrace. “Speak your feelings. I may not have the best words… but I want to listen.” 

Zack shook his head. He took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts.“…Now that I’m on the spot, I don’t know what to say.” He sniffed and laughed rather pathetically. “I think I was just frustrated… it’s been… a bad morning.” He rolled his eyes and let out a groan. “I am… such an awful guest.” He pressed his forehead to Jumin’s shoulder. “I’m a mess.” 

“Right now you are. But I’m willing to lend myself to help you untangle all of this.” 

“I know… And I’m sorry that I broke that remote… I just, Glam said something that just pissed me off so much that I just lost it a bit. I’m not like that, I swear! I went to a camp to learn how to calm myself down. It’s just… it’s like one damn thing after another and it’s like it keeps piling up.”He leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. “My… uncle told me to pay for his flight and his hotel. Tsk. What an ass. He shouldn’t have even go ‘cause… ugh! He’s against my sexuality and he’s never agreed to any of that, and that’s why he’s rude to me. Behind my back he calls me a lot of slurs. I’m an idiot for thinking I could talk to him.” 

“Did he insult you?” Jumin’s voice was dark. 

“It wouldn’t be the first time, but no he didn’t. We’ve just never got along. He’s got something wrong with him I think. I mean one minute he’s really nice, to everyone but me, and the next he’s super vile. He’s the eldest, then it’s my mom, and then… my aunt. My grandma was like that too; I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love my abuelita but… she can get really nasty. It was like walking on egg shells around her and the same is with my uncle. He’s all chipper and then you mention something, and if he doesn’t really like it, he flips out.” Zack wiped his eyes and sniffed, _Why did I just go on a tangent like that?_ “Family. Am I right?” 

“Yes.” Jumin sighed. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah. Now I am, I don’t feel as angry anymore. Sor-“ 

Jumin put a finger to Zack’s lips and shook his head. “Stop. Saying. That.” 

“I’m sor- Oh!… Heh, okay I’ll try to stop.” He smiled. “Damn… that exhausted me.” He pinched his brow. 

“Yes, you’re still recovering.” 

“Well, hopefully today’s when everything will calm down. Ugh, I forgot. How’s Butty and Liz? And when did you leave? It’s like 8 right?” 

“I left at seven. And he’s doing much better. I’m having Dr. El watch over him now that the stores are slowly starting to open up again. And Elizabeth is doing well. However seeing those women must have stressed her out, it’s not good for her to see such ugliness.” 

“Heh.” Zack scratched his head. “Ow!” 

“What?” Jumin grabbed his hands. “Zack… what happened?” 

“I bite my nails when I’m stressed. Or I eat. Or I drink. Or I punch things.” He chuckled but Jumin just narrowed his eyes. “I-it’s not that bad.” 

“It is. Look at your hands. You’re even bleeding!” 

“Well I-Hey!” Jumin had kissed the back of his hand. 

“This is how people soothe wounds right? I’ve seen it on the dramas.” 

Zack awkwardly nodded. “Sur…sure, I guess. You probably sh…” He felt his toes curl. _No you idiot, stop it._ “You probably shouldn’t. I’m really sick and you could contract it like that.” 

“I’ll be fine. Here, let me help you up.” 

“By the way,” he grunted as he stood, "why’d you lock up the wine?” 

“The fact that you know that tells me I did the right thing.” 

“Tch…”

“I’ll have a drink with you once you feel better. Both physically and mentally.” 

“Okaaayy…” He sighed. “… Aren’t you… like uncomfortable being… like close to me?” 

Jumin looked confused. 

Zack huffed. “I told you that you… you’re like… ugh! Just don’t whisper in my ear.” 

Jumin smiled. “Oh?” He leaned down. “You mean like this?” 

“Gah! You jerk!” Zack blushed harder and shoved him aside. “Don’t you have a breakfast you need to go to?” 

“No. I’ll go to dinner with him some other time, but I refuse to go with all four of them. They’re acting as if we’re all some sort of a family.” 

“Or that you’re married.” 

Jumin grimaced. 

“Hahaha! What’s with _that_ face?” Zack peered at him. “Wow, you must really not like her.” 

“She’s loud.” 

“Heh, well if you really don’t like her that much then maybe you should try to find a way to convince her that you’re just not interested.” Zack shrugged. “Maybe you should say you’re with Jaehee.” He shuddered. “Poor her.” 

“I’m not sure if I should be offended by that.” 

**~* 9:30 *~**

“Wow, you’re really pampering me today.” Zack leaned over the counter to stretch his legs. “Strawberry pancakes?” 

“Mmhmm.” Jumin put on his cat apron again. “I think we both deserve a treat.” 

“Keep cooking like that and I’ll never want to leave.” 

“…” 

Zack awkwardly laughed. “I’m just kidding.” _Wonder if Jumin wants me to get my lazy ass out of here. I have been here for nearly two-ish days._ “I think today I’ll head on ou-“ 

“No.” Jumin slammed his spatula down. “You. Are. Still. Sick.” 

“Yeah but it’s not as bad as it was. By now I can handle this myself, I mean I-“

“No. What makes you think you can handle this all on your own? You break things and hurt yourself through your anger. You can’t seem to just sit still, so do you really think I’ll believe you if you tell me you’ll take it easy?” 

“I wi…will.” 

“Zachary, you’re lying. Tell me, what were you going to do when you left.” 

Zack looked away. “Go home an…and relax.” 

“You can’t even say it properly. You can’t even look at me in the eyes.” 

Zack sighed. “Look, I just want to… I just want to get something. There’s something extremely important back at the apartment. And if that something is stolen everything that I’ve done up until this point will be pointless.” 

Jumin sighed. “I’ll take you there. And then I want you to come right back out and come home with me.” 

Zack let out a sigh. “Well… I had another thing I wanted to do.” 

“You see?” Jumin resumed cooking. “You really were lying to me.” 

“Well cuz! I just… Sorry… It’s just I need to check on the Yi’s. I… when I went to get Butty I opened there shed and I might’ve, kinda, destroyed it.” He sighed. “Ah! Oh! How’s your driver?” 

“He has a cold.” 

“I… I’m sor-“ A pancake hit him in the face. 

“I said to stop saying that.” 

“…You have impeccable aim.” Zack wiped his face. “Okay… okay I’ll let you drive me. And… I want to go the Yi’s. After that we can go home.” 

“Fine. I agree to that.” Zack got up, “Sit back down and-“ 

“Let me help.” Zack opened the fridge and looked for something to go along the pancakes. “Oh! You can also do this.” 

“Zack, what about your-“ 

“I’m leaning against the counter, I’m fine.” He started to make sausage patties. “Hey, with the strawberries we can make a bit of hmmm.” He started to mumble to himself as he mashed the strawberries down. “Sugar…” He reached over for his phone and put on music. “Mmhmm, that’s better.” He hummed along with the music. “Wanna know~ what I read~ this morning~ before I took~ my showerrr~?” He sang to the beat. “I saw~ that cat wine~ is reeealll~” 

“What!?” Jumin looked back and grabbed his phone. 

“Mmhmm~ its was maaade~ first in Japaaaan~ I think because of the cat cafes.” He stopped singing as he boiled some sugar water and flipped the sausages. The two stood next to each at the stove. 

“I will invest in it immediately. I’m ordering a box right now.” 

Zack laughed. His playlist shifted into something upbeat. “Ooo! Bruno Mars! Haha at my schools prom we danced to this song. We were also doing some line dancing and all that country stuff. Ugh… I totally wore jeans and a camo shirt- you know what? Let’s not talk about that.” He sang along with the song.

“You seem to like to sing.” 

“I did choir in college. I like it okay.” He shrugged. “Just a hobby. But… I like this the most.” He motioned to the mixing bowl he was using. “Cooking and all that, it’s just nice. It’s calming and it feels right.” 

“It is nice.” Jumin looked over at him. 

Zack walked back to the counter and cut up more strawberries. “It’s going to be a little thick, and warm, but it will probably taste good.” He mumbled. He mashed the strawberries. “I’d have to take out a loan… no that’s financial suicide for me right now.” 

“What’s that?” 

“Nothing. Just mumbling. Okay! Let me get this in there.” 

*******

Zack poured the strawberry jam he made over his pancakes. “Hmm if I had more time it’d be more syrup-y.” He bit into it. “Oh yeah this is good, I think.” 

“I’m glad. I’m glad you’re doing better.” Jumin was once again looking at him rather intensely. 

“Can…you not stare at me when I eat?” 

“My apologies, I didn’t quite realize I was doing it.” 

Zack shrugged and looked through his phone. “So, you’re gonna drive?” 

“I’ll have to. You better wear a helmet.” 

He looked up. “Eh? You _can_ drive right?” 

“I do have a license, yes, but…” 

“But what?” 

“Nothing. It should be fine.” Jumin finally started to eat. “Oh?” 

“Oh? What? I-is it not good?” He leaned forward. “Not sweet enough, too sweet?” 

“No, it’s actually very good. A little thick but good.” 

He let out a sigh of relief. “Oh good! Okay!” 

“Next time you can make it more thinner, you’ll have more time. You’ll have all the time.” 

“Yes?” _What did that mean?_ “Um… you know… those women, I just…” He sighed. “If you ever want to avoid them you can give me a signal. Maybe I can like… fake an illness or distract them so you can get away.” 

Jumin smiled. “They might keep coming to visit. Will you be here always?” 

“Oh good point. You can send me a text and I can call you or something.” 

Jumin frowned. “Yes… that can work too.” 

“If I happen to be with you,” _which is probably gonna be rare,_ “you should say something like… mmm…” he tapped his fingers on the table, “chocolate tastes sweeter in liquor.” 

“That’s rather obscure.”

“It’s true.” He laughed. “But I’ll start paying attention if you talk about chocolate. Or food in general.” 

“Are you saying you don’t pay attention when I talk?” Jumin raised a brow. 

“N-no! I’m just saying, around _them_ I think I’d probably space out. And alone I space out so food pulls me out of my thoughts.” His phone dinged. “Mmm my mom.” He slid his phone across. _Wait, why am I showing him?_ “Erm sh-she’s sending me some pics of the Amish shop she went to. Don’t know why I showed you.” He cycled through the photos. A man with caramel colored hair and a grey beard was holding a whittling knife. 

“Who is that?” 

“That’s my dad. Major Santa beard am I right? I can grow a beard but they don’t look good on me.” He went to the next picture. “That’s my mom. She’s from Juarez. My parents met when my dad got stationed in San Diego. My mom was living there at the time to apply for the army but then whoops, I was born.” 

“Whoops?” 

“I was an accident.” Zack laughed. “Their relationship wasn’t that great when I was a kid. I remember those… eh whatever.” He shrugged. “It’s in the distant past.” He took his phone back. 

“You look like your mother.” 

“What? No way, she’s got that really pretty Mexicana look to her.” He leaned back and yawned. “Oh man, I think when we get back I’ll need a nap.” 

Jumin stared at Zack for a long moment before nodding. “Yes, I might… I may just do the same.” 

“Mmmhmm…” Zack wasn’t listening as he scrolled through his phone. “You do that.” He laughed as he read through some comments on a video he watched after his shower. 

Jumin clicked his tongue. 

** *~*  **

After breakfast, the two got ready for their small outing. One of the security guards was tasked to watching over Elizabeth while they were gone. Once everything was squared away and the dishes were done, the two headed to the garage and took Jumin’s company car. 

Jumin gripped the steering wheel and took a short breath. “Are you strapped in?” 

“Yup.” Zack leaned back as he texted with the RFA. 

“Maybe… I really should get that helmet.” 

“Hahaha I’m sure I’m fine.” 

**~* 5 minutes into driving *~**

“PULL THE CAR OVER!” Zack gripped the ‘oh shit’ handle. 

Jumin did so. “Hmm was it that bad?” 

Zack gripped his chest as he tried to steady his breathing. “Oh…oh..oh my god… I…my life was…flashing before…my eyes.” He shook. “I can’t stop shaking…” 

“Was it really so bad?” 

“JUMIN WE COULD HAVE DIED!” He slammed his fist on the dashboard. “Son of a- Get out! Switch with me!” Zack’s legs were still shaking as he stepped out of the car. 

“But, your ankle-“ 

“No! You’re awful! I can’t believe how awful your driving is!” He used the car to steady himself as he made his way to the drivers seat. He adjusted the seat and leaned back. “Okay… just let me calm down… shit.” He turned on the music. “Do _I_ need a helmet?!A helmet wouldn’t have done anything if we crashed! Fucking hell!” 

“You…seem really angry.” 

“I’m furious!!! Dammit! Cars are basically weapons! I don’t want my brains splattered on the windshield!” He pinched his brow. “Okay… give me a moment. I need to focus.” He took in deep breaths and rolled down the window to take in the rain smell. Just breathe in nature, become one with nature. In and out. In and out. “Okay… I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m just very…” He shook his head. “Okay, let’s just reset here.” He looked over at Jumin. “Sorry for flipping out on you. I just…” 

_Her face was smashed into the wheel… I’m sorry but she was dead upon arrival. There was no way._

Zack covered his mouth and leaned on the wheel. 

“Zachary?” 

“I’m fine.” He straightened up. “Ahem, let’s just get back too it.” He put the car in reverse and gripped the wheel tightly. “Who on earth gave you a license? Did you pay someone to do it?” 

“No.” 

“God, those people should be fired. And I’m being serious right now.” 

“I know. I figured I could… Mmm I should’ve just called a taxi.” 

Zack sighed. “It’s fine, but like what’s your deal? Do you get nervous or something?” 

“No. I just think about some things.” 

“Well they must be pretty shitty things if you’re driving like _that._ ” Zack winced as he moved his foot to press the break. “Does Jaehee drive?” 

“No. I don’t think she does.” 

“Mmm, I only asked cuz I was curious if she has her own company car.” 

“She doesn’t, no.” 

“That’s lame. She should since she’s your assistant.” 

“You seem very defensive over her. Why?” 

Zack shrugged. “Dunno. No reason I guess. Maybe I just feel bad for her. I mean, I get working and making a name for yourself but like… she works a lot.” 

“Work is fulfilling.” 

“So is enjoying life. Life isn’t just about work Jumin. If it was you wouldn’t own Elizabeth. It’s important but, like, just look at yesterday. We had a lot of fun playing those games. Well at least I did.” He glanced at Jumin to read his reaction. Stoic as usual. “But we got to enjoy life by laughing together and all that.” He shook his head. “My parents worked all the damn time. I got to see them here and there but… Life didn’t feel like it fully started for me until I moved in with Lloyd.” He bit his lip. “It didn’t feel as lonely anymore.” 

They barely talked after that, both lost in thought as they drove under the cloudy sky. Only the soft music swam through the air. Zack parked outside the apartment, secrets be damned. “I’ll be back.” He got out of the car and limped towards the building. “This is why I friggin’ need crutches. Or a cane. I’ve been using Jumin as my crutch for too long.” He sighed as he walked into the building. 

A sense of dread washed over him as he walked through the apartment. Nothing was out of place but this apartment gave him chills. He grabbed a suitcase and shoved his clothes inside. “Tsk. I should just pack up.” He grabbed his duffel bag and pulled out the safe. Still there, and so were the gems. Thank god. He dug through his things and took what he needed most, all the food and products he bought he was going to abandon. He found his wallet and let out a sigh of relief. The USB was still there.

Once he had everything he needed, everything that was important to him, he left the apartment and texted Jumin to meet him outside and help him. 

“What’s all this?” Jumin put the stuff in the trunk. 

“I’m moving out.” Zack went through everything and nodded happily. He didn’t forget anything. 

“What? Where will you go?” 

“A motel. Probably.” He shrugged. “I refuse to stay in _that place_ anymore.” He flipped off the building. 

“Why don’t you just stay with me?” Jumin gripped Zack’s shoulder tightly. A little too tightly. 

“Uhm I don’t want to be a bot-“ 

“You’re not. It’s decided. You’ll stay with me.” 

“Uh but…” 

“I shall make sure you have everything you need.” 

“That’s nice but-“ 

“Good, now let’s go to Pure Joy.” 

Zack furrowed his brows as he watched Jumin casually got back in the car. “Uhm… yeah.” He glanced at Jumin’s profile as he got back into the drivers seat. “I mean,” he started the car, “I don’t mind a motel-“ 

“You’ll be more comfortable with me— my house. Plus, I can make sure that you’re safe and that you’re not doing anything ridiculous.” 

“Sure.” 

“Do you not like the penthouse?” 

“It’s not that just… didn’t want to be in the way.” _I guess it’s fine. He is pretty persistent though. Maybe he’s just super lonely. I sure as hell would be too._ “I hope the Yi’s are okay. I should’ve tried to call. Damn.” 

“I’m sure everything will be fine.” 

**~* Pure Joy *~**

“They’re not there. The shops closed too.” Zack looked up at the building. “I can’t tell if they’re home. HELLO!?” 

“Do they leave the house often?” 

“Not really. But… I think Mr. Yi’s been having to go to the hospital a lot.” Zack’s stomach dropped. “I-I’m gonna try again.” He rang the doorbell once more. No answer. “Dammit. Lemme go check the shed.” 

“I can see it from here. It’s flooded.” 

“Sonuva-“ 

“I don’t think it’s your fault. Look.” He pointed at the roof. “There’s a leak in it. It would’ve flooded no matter what.” 

“Ah, well… I guess I’m lucky there.” He shoved his hands in his hoodie. “Well dammit. I’m worried… I… argh! I should’ve called the store or visited them! Dammit!” 

“It’s not your fault Zack. I’m sure everything’s fine.” 

Zack ignored Jumin and looked around the garden. He picked up a flower pot and found the spare key. 

“Zachary.” 

“I need to check.” He opened the shop. “It’s really quiet. They might not be here.” 

Jumin followed after him. “So this is Pure Joy.” 

“Look, the counters a mess.” Zack felt fear start to spread up his neck. “None of the dishes are done…” He walked further in. “Hello? Mrs. Yi? It’s me, Zachary Rein!” Silence. “They don’t leave the place like this normally. W-what if they were robbed?!” 

“Let’s just keep looking.” 

Zack quickly ran through the living room; the TV was still on. He was starting to panic. Jumin came from upstairs. “Anything?” 

“No I didn’t find anything. And there were no signs of a break-in.” 

“What… what should I do? Should I check the hospitals? Maybe I should ask around!? Oh! I know!” He pulled out his phone and dug through their rolodex. There he was, that useless part-timer. 

> **You:** Hey, this is Zack. I work at Pure Joy. Where are they? 

It took twenty minutes for that guy to respond. 

> **555-6342:** The old lady had a heart attack yesterday. 

Zack went pale. 

> **You:** Are they alright?! 
> 
> **555-6342:** Dunno. But that old man was flipping out. Like, not in a way like a husband. He just seemed really confused. 
> 
> **You:** How so? 
> 
> **555-6342:** He kept telling me that he didn’t know how this happened cuz she was so young. 
> 
> **You:** What hospital? 
> 
> **555-6342:** Dunno 

“Tch!” He lifted his arm to throw the phone. “Dammit!” Before he could break something Jumin grabbed his wrist and pulled him to his chest. “What is with this week!?” He punched Jumin’s chest lightly. “It’s one damn thing after another! Fuck!!” He pulled away. “I am so PISSED OFF!!” He turned sharply on his heel and stormed out of the building. 

Jumin followed after him. “Where are you going?” 

“Out! I need to think!” 

“Is it safe for you to be alone? I don’t want you to-“ 

“DAMMIT!” He kicked the wall with his bad leg. “AH! Fuck!” 

“-hurt yourself!! Zachary!” Jumin helped him to a bench. “Why did you just do that?!” 

“I wasn’t thinking! Argh that hurts!!” He gritted his teeth. 

“Well of course it does! Why would you kick the wall with your sprained foot!?” 

“This is just!! Fuckin’ agh! God it hurts…” He shook as the pain shot through his leg.“Damn!” He raised his fist to slam it on the wall. 

Jumin grabbed him tightly. “CALM DOWN!” Zack had never heard Jumin yell like that before. He stared up at him in shock. “Stop doing that! Do you know how awful it is to see that!?” 

“I-“ 

“Now! Think about this rationally. Right now you don’t know what’s going on, and yes I know that’s frustrating, but this is getting ridiculous!” 

“But I…” 

“I can look into it.” He cupped Zack’s face. “Stop doing that. Stop it.” 

Zack nodded. “I… I’m sorry.” He looked down. “I just…” He let out a sigh and gripped Jumin’s arms. “…scared…” He mumbled. “I’m scared of them dying.” 

“I understand. But hurting yourself more isn’t going to change anything.” 

“I’m scared of going bankrupt.” He closed his eyes. “I’m scared of being alone. I’m scared of dying alone. I’m so sorry…” He said that mainly to himself. “Ah… this is bad. Isn’t it? I haven’t been this messed up and… and self destructive since I was a teenager. I thought that was behind me.” 

Jumin nodded. “I think it’s about time you talked to someone.” 

Zack eyed the ground. “If… you can be there… maybe.” 

“I can.” 

“I… you need to give me a bit. I have to prepare myself for it.” 

“Alright. Now, let me contact my people and I’ll find the owners.” 

Zack sighed. “I keep asking too much of you. I’m so sorry.” 

Jumin sighed and narrowed his eyes. 

“But I am sorry!” Zack looked up at him. “I’m… the worst guest.” He laughed. He thought he felt Jumin getting closer, but by then Zack had already stood up. “Okay… Let me clean up that place.” 

“I’ll help.” 

“Well, tsk, okay.” He smiled. “Thanks. And… I…” He looked down. “I…” 

Jumin petted his hair. “I’m happy to help.” 

_Still don’t know why you are but… okay._ “Hahaha!” He leaned up. “Come here.” He pulled Jumin down by his tie and kissed his cheek. “Gracias desde lo más profundo de mi corazón.” He pulled back. “I’ll clean the shop. If you can straighten up the living room I think that’ll be good.” 

“…….Yes. Okay.” 

** ~*~ **

Zack peeked into the living room and smiled. He looked into the fridge and found the leftover cakes and started to cut into it. He quickly decorated it and huffed. “Not as good as the last one… but decent enough.” The toe beans of the cat paw wasn’t as perfectly circular like last time but as long as it was edible then it’d be fine. “Hey, CEO, come here.” 

Jumin sighed. “I haven’t cleaned like this in a long time.” 

“You didn’t break anything did you?” 

“Almost, but no. I was on the phone tracking down the Yi’s.” 

Zack slightly smiled. “Sit down.” He pulled out a chair. “Here, ta-dah.” He placed the small cake in front of him. “A treat. As a thanks for dealing with my irritating self.” Zack sat across from him. He winced as he sat down, his leg was killing him. “Okay, so tell me what you learned.” 

“They’re at the local hospital. They’re fine and all is well.” 

“You’re not lying right?” 

“Why would I lie?” Jumin cut into the cake. 

“Cuz you wouldn’t want me to run off and do something stupid.” 

Jumin chuckled. “No matter what I’ll follow after you.” 

“Haha! Okay then?” He sipped his coffee. “But seriously, they’re okay?” 

“Yes. However… it seems they’re thinking of shutting down Pure Joy.” 

Zack choked on his coffee. “Wh-what?! Why?!” 

“They can’t take care of this place anymore. Apparently they’re going to be looking into a nursing home where they can live together in peace.” 

Zack rubbed the rim of the cup. “Oh. That’s, uhm, probably for the best.” 

“Yes, I’m sure a lot of companies would love to set up shop here. This area has been growing quite well lately.” Jumin looked around. “I quite like it myself.” 

He didn’t like that. So some big corporation was going to buy this place? And turn it into what? Probably something stupid. All the charm and love will be lost. Zack sighed. That’d be pretty sad. But… it is what it is. 

“This is decadent.” 

The brunette laughed through his nose. “Yeah, that’s Mrs. Yi’s recipe. She’s so good at baking.” 

“It almost rivals yours.” 

“Now you’re just being a kiss ass.” 

“I’m telling you the truth.” 

“Uh huh.” He chuckled. “You ain’t gettin another kiss.” He laughed, Jumin just eyed him. “K-Kidding.” He looked away. 

** ~*~*~ **

Zack breathed out loudly. “That smells so good!” He cheered as he drove them home. “I’m tellin’ ya Jumin, this takeout is sooo good.” 

“I’ll trust you.” 

Zack glanced over at him and laughed. “Oh don’t look so skeptical. It’s just yummy commoners food. You can do this. Plus what you got isn’t too greasy so you should be fine.” He pulled into the penthouse garage. “Ah I’m so lookin’ forward to just vegging out on the couch. I’m exhausted.” 

“Good. I can set up the tab-“ 

“No no no no no. We’re eatin’ on the couch.” He smiled. “Oh, er, if you want to that is.” 

“… Sure we can do that.” 

“Yeah!” 

** *~*  **

Zack opened the door. “I bet that-oomph!” 

“Yo!” _Seven!? What the what!?_ Zack was being squeezed to death by the crazy redhead. 

“Luciel…” 

“Hey! What’s up?” 

Jumin crossed his arms. “How did you get in here? I had a security guard specifically-“ 

“You’re asking God of Space Seven?” Zack teased. 

“Exacto mundo, don’t question a god Jumpy. Nothing can stop me and my need for a sleep over.” He patted Zack on the shoulder. “I get to see my Elly and my best friendo Zoozoo.” 

“ _Your_ Elizabeth?” 

“Yeah! She’s over there. I’ve been watching her closely, no money grabbers here!” 

“Exactly who must I fire now?” Jumin’s eye was slightly twitching. “Who let you in?” 

“Secret!” Seven looked at the bag of food. “Ooo! Good choice.” 

“Right?” Zack laughed. “This is exciting!” Suddenly all that anger was starting to subside. “Oo! Seven, we should all play Monopoly.” 

“Hahaha! Okay, I’m ready to win!” 

Zack looked back at Jumin. “Yeah?” 

Jumin sighed. “If… if it’ll help you.” 

Zack smiled. “It’s not just about me, but this could be fun.”

“You should have told me you were coming Luciel.” Jumin walked towards the kitchen and put the bags down. 

Seven glanced at the Zack’s duffel bag and swallowed. “Uh… uhm… what? Oh. Right. Well it was a surprise!” 

“Well, surprise or not, don’t tire out Zachary. We’ve had a long day.” 

“Oh I’m fine.” Zack waved it aside. “So, you stayin’ over?” 

“Haha well it is a SLEEP over you know. Let’s sleep in the same room Zoozy.” 

“No.” Jumin said as he got out his wine. “You’ll sleep on the couch.” 

“Oh it’s no big deal to me.” Zack shrugged. “You better sleep.” He said to Seven seriously. “Lemme help ya set up the bed. I gotta change to." The two walked off chattering to the guest room, laughing about this and that and muttering about files and safes. Jumin poured a huge glass of wine. For some reason, he felt annoyed. 

** *~*  **

“Wow, Jumin is crushing us.” Zack laughed before throwing his head back in irritation. “Fuck it! Taxes! Damn the taxes!” 

“HAHAHA!” Seven keeled over. “That’s five times in a row! You have the worst luck!” 

“JUMIN STOP BUYING PROPERTIES!” Zack munched on his sweet potato fries. 

“I see an opportunity. I take it.” 

“Spoken like a true businessman.” Seven laughed. “Come on doubles! Yessss thank you dice.” 

“You… are you cheating?” Zack glared at him. 

“What? Nooo.” 

“Argh!” Zack leaned back. He was so tired but he refused to sleep. He just wanted to have pure fun. “This game sucks.” Zack leaned back, he had been using Seven as a back rest and Jumin’s legs as a foot rest. He didn’t even realize he was doing it. He was just letting go and relaxing. 

**~* After Jumin Won Like A Champ *~**

“Man, that water pressure is so good.” Zack limped over to the couch. 

“Rich people.” Seven laughed as he looked up from his phone. “But yeah, it’s a little too good.” 

“Mmhmm.” Jumin sipped his wine. 

“That was so much fun. Man, I didn’t think you’d win like _that_. Who knew your skills would transfer to Monopoly.” He laughed. “But I shouldn’t be surprised.” He got himself comfortable and shyly fiddled with his bandaged thumbs. “I…” 

Seven looked over. “What’s up?” 

“I’ve decided something.” 

“And what’s that?” Jumin looked up from his tablet. 

“I’m gonna do what I should’ve been doing this whole time, focus on me and my happiness. This morning was torture, but right now has been so great. And it surprised me because… I realized I haven’t been this happy in years. And I’m not going to feel guilty over it.” He dug through his pocket. “Look.” 

“Your wedding ring?” 

Seven looked at it closely. “It is really pretty.” 

“Mmhmm. I’ve had it on me this whole time. I’ve been keeping it close for a long, long time.” He held it up and looked at it fondly. “This ring… it represents a lot of things. But, what it represents the most is my fears.” He brought the ring to his lips. “I said goodbye a few days ago… but I wasn’t totally ready to do so, because… I was still really scared.” He took a deep breath. “When…” _Just keep talking, take that next big step._ He choked up. 

The two gave him that push, both with their reassuring smiles. 

_Yeah. I can do it._ “When my aunt was alive… she would tell me about her adventures when she did missions. As she got drunker she would tell me that being alone was the worst thing in the world. I grew up with that.” He laughed. “Boy, I got a little fucked up from all that.” He raised the ring. “This… I think this is really a symbol of my fear of being alone. I saw the signs that me and Lloyd were toxic for each other but I chose to ignore them from fear of ending up like my aunt. Whenever I thought of separating from him I’d have dreams of crashing my car. My aunt was killed by drunk driving and the aftermath of it all must have really scarred me, so much so that I was willing to live in depression for the rest of my life. I dragged poor Lloyd down with me, but… I don’t want to do it anymore.” He clenched his fist. “I… want to let go.” 

Seven leaned over and smiled. “You can do it Zack. I was thinking about that… You mentioned it I think and that made me think of this.” He pulled out a small brown box. “It’s called a memory box. But, I think it’d help.” He smiled sheepishly. 

“Zack…” Jumin stood up. “Let’s go up to the roof.” 

“What? Uhm okay.” 

Jumin and Seven helped him climb the stairs up to the roof garden. The cloudy, cold, sky was a welcome for Zack. It felt so crisp and clean out here. On the roof was a singular tree and a bench. The edges of the roof was surrounded by flowers and clean cut grass. Zack walked over to the tree and leaned against it. “It’s pretty up here.” 

“Yes, I find it comforting to sit here on some days.”

He opened the box and sighed. “Okay…” He cleared his throat and turned away from them. “Lloyd, you were my best friend, we went through a lot together, and I hope that one day we’ll become friends again. What you did… wasn’t right but what I did to you was just as wrong. Sure I still feel saddened by all of it but you’ll be happy to know I’ve met some great people. Things haven’t been so good lately but I hope that the sun will shine on me once again. And I hope that it’s been shining on you.” He placed the ring inside and carefully knelt down. “Lloyd, thank you. Thank you for the happy times.” Jumin handed him a trowel from the planter. Zack buried the box near the base of the tree and let out a happy laugh. “Wow! That felt great!” 

“I’m glad.” 

“Way to go!” Seven clapped. 

“Yeah! Whoo!! I feel like a major weight has just lifted off my shoulders.” He stood up and shook both their hands. “Thank you!” He leaned up and kissed Seven’s cheek. “Gracias desde lo más profundo de mi corazón!” And he once again did the same to Jumin. He let out another cheer. “Okay! I can do this. And thank you for being such great friends. I promise, I’ll make it up to you.” 

Seven grinned. “More cake?” 

“Sure.” Zack smiled back. “Well Seven, what do you say we beat Jumin at a game we can actually beat him at.” 

“Oh! Those party trivia games?” 

“Yeah, I like the sound of that.” 

**~* 3 Hours Later *~**

Zack and Seven laid in the same bed, both staring up at the ceiling. “You know… Jumin is an awful driver.” 

“Oh god.” Seven looked over at him. “He _drove?_ ” 

“For like five minutes.” 

“Whew… that’s good. Any casualties?” 

“Hmph, no. I drove instead.” He closed his eyes. “… I’m surprised you came.” 

Seven chuckled. “Me too. I dunno I just started working really hard and then I was here. I was just being silly but… I’m here now.” 

“You have fun?” 

“Yeah. I really needed that too. But… I also came for another reason. I… didn’t want to say it right away because…” He turned away. “I really just wanted to enjoy all of this. But, I made a fake gem.” 

Zack shot up. “What? Really?” 

“I think it’ll open it.” He sat up and went to his bag. “I… when you open it I don’t want to know what’s inside.” He gripped his bag tightly. “I can’t… not yet.” 

Zack nodded. “Thank you.” He got up and hugged Seven. “Thank you. I’m sorry to have burdened you.” 

“No. Just… just don’t go doing something stupid again. Okay?” 

“I won’t, remember you’re the leader.” 

Seven laughed. “Right. I almost forgot.” He looked down at him. “Umm… You know… it’s really fun.” 

“What is?” 

“Uh…uhm… nothing I dunno.” He shrugged. “Here.” He handed the shorter man the gem. “Check it now so we can make sure it works.” 

Zack nodded. He went to his bag and took out the safe. He held his breath as he put the gem to the last spot. 

_Click._

The two froze. Zack’s hands shook as he opened the safe. Flowers. There was a journal with a flower lock on it. He didn’t even hesitate. He dug out his notes and stared at the leather. It said “Rika 1/12/09” That correlated with the flowers . It didn’t take him but a second to figure out what the code was. Seven took a step forward but stopped himself. Zack’s hands shook as he opened the journal. 

> _“Rika, if you’re reading this then you know that I’ve taken what you wanted most. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do this. I’ve taken the formula, I know what it does. I won’t let you hurt any more people. I’m sorry…_
> 
> _-Jihyun.”_

Attached the paper was a black gem and a note that said “S and S truth at Weeping Angel.” 

“Wh-wh-what does it say?” Seven tried to peer over his shoulder. 

Zack lowered the notebook. “…Uh… it’s uh… it’s more riddles.” 

“Seriously?” Seven groaned. “Geez. Want me to look at-“ 

“Nah, we’re still trying to enjoy our day. Come on, let’s just talk.” He shoved the notebook into his bag. _V… I think I finally have the final piece to my arsenal. I have to go back… I have to._

“O…Okay.” Seven helped him back to bed and then laid back down. “You doin’ okay?” 

“Yeah. I’m doing better.” He rolled to his side and looked at Seven. “You’re gonna sleep right?” 

“Yeah. I promise.” 

“Good.” He closed his eyes. “This has been one messed up week.” 

“Yeah. But… you’ll have an awesome story to tell your friends back home.” 

“Awesome may not be the way I’d describe it.” He chuckled. “But no matter what, I’m really grateful for today. And thank you so much for that box. It just didn’t feel right to pawn the ring or throw it into a river.” 

Seven smiled. “No problem! Oh here!” He reached over. “A replacement ring. I won it from a promo with HBC.” Zack took it and smiled. “It’s cheap but since you always roll your ring around when your nervous…” 

Zack hugged him tightly. “Your little pure angel. Damn you’re cute.” He laughed. “Thank you. Gosh my list of debt to you just keeps growing.” He rolled back to his side. “How’ll I ever repay you?” 

“You don’t… I… let’s keep hanging out and playing games.” 

“Deal. Anything else?” 

“I gotta hear that laugh again.” 

“No deal.” Zack slipped on the ring. 

“Aww.” Seven chuckled. “We’ll see about that.” 

The two talked silently to each other until both gradually fell into a deep sleep. 

_Sunflower Orphanage. I really didn’t want to go back but… I have to do it. I don’t know why but I have to._

 

**_~* Unknown Location *~_ **

“You did very good C-09.” Savior smiled as she sat on her throne. 

“Thank you Savior. I will keep watch over the elders, the drug should wear off soon.” C-09 bowed and left. 

Savior leaned over and drank her wine. “Ah, Ray, our angel is almost in our grasp. With the despair of those Pure Joy owners out of his life, he grows closer and closer to us.” 

Ray looked down. “Yes.” _Something… a doubt is growing in my heart…_ “Will it really push him towards us?” 

“Yes. He won’t be able to resist the temptation to confront that devil.” She held the report of The Angel. “The young man cannot resist his urge to find out the truth. His craving to find answers of this sinning world will be his undoing. Just as it always has been.” 

Ray bowed. “Shall I send another bill? Or perhaps another text?” 

“Not yet.” Savior smiled. “But send in A-15.” 

“Dr. Yani? He still has his office, I’ll send him out.” 

“Yes. Let’s plant just one more seed.” She chuckled. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got nothing to say lol. I'm just exhausted. 
> 
> Frostlesskiss if you're reading this: I was studying and all that and while I was trying to memorize biology blah blah I was thinking "hmm this scenario for their mc and mine. And hmm this one too" lolol very fun!


	15. Day 10: Pushed (Part 1)

**~*1am Unknown Location*~**

In a room of gaudy lies sat a woman with hair like gold. Her dainty features hid the demon that lived inside of her. She stared at her subjects with her kind eyes. She smiled as they bowed before her, not with love, but with egotistical pride. Beside her stood her most trusted toy, her ray of light that she seeks to consume. The room was quiet as her people cycled out after vigorous praying, towards her. A mortal woman was the messiah to nearly 100 people. 

One person stayed behind. A-15, formally known as Dr. Fin Yani, stayed knelt before her. He was once a loved psychiatrist in his community, but after the death of his two daughters, the master of the mind collapsed into his own. When he was ready to give it up he met a beautiful woman with golden hair and emerald eyes. 

“If you don’t want your life anymore, why don’t you give it to me?” She had said sweetly. 

And from that day forward, Dr. Fin Yani was no longer a person but a designation. He joined the hive mind and followed his Queen. His Savior. 

A-15 looked up at her and bowed deeper, his fingers splayed on the auburn rug as he awaited permission to look up at Her Radiance. 

“A-15.” She stood. “I have called you for a specific reason. Our Paradise cannot be met when demons are trying to tempt us into sin. Our own Lucifer seeks to corrupt us.” She shook her head. “Demons. All of them. But I, your Savior, can help them just as I helped you. We have a fallen angel struggling to survive in that tainted world. I want you, Dr. Yani,” the doctor flinched; it had been so long since he was called that, “to help us push our fallen angel into my grasp. You may speak.” 

A-15 nodded. “I understand Savior. Is their something that can help our fallen angel?” 

“Yes.” She reached out her hand. Ray placed a file in it, trained like the dog he was. “This here is our subject.” 

A-15 looked up and looked over the file. “Oh?” A simple case of childhood trauma resulting in inherited isolation. Parents were once divorced… mmm I see.” 

“Yes, Noelle Garcia and his mother Guadalupe Rein. These two strings will unravel the tapestry of his mind. His life will soon be mine to save.” 

A-15 nodded vigorously. “Yes! I will do just that.” 

Ray glanced over at Savior. What was happening? When he used to look at her he saw the sun and the moon. But now, there was a strange eclipse covering her beauty. Something just didn’t feel right. 

A-15 bowed and pushed up his glasses. “I shall make contact with him soon.” 

“Good. And, A-15, this mission is of upmost importance. Should you succeed, well, your reward would be bountiful. In fact, I believe I will have you as my left hand man.” 

A-15 gasped and gripped his heart. He looked so…disgusting in Ray’s eyes. The look of admiration was sickening, and he didn’t know why. Just a few months ago he held the same look, so why now did it make him feel sick? And… wasn’t that a lie? Savior said that that vilest of demons who calls himself Luciel was going to be her left hand man. She wanted both by her side. Does a Savior lie? Does a Savior produce false hope? 

Once A-15 ran off Savior sat back down and smiled. “I’m so happy!” She cheered. “I feel like our goal is getting closer and closer. Oh my dear fallen angel, bring me those nasty demons. I know you can do it.” 

**~* 8am *~**

Zack awoke being spooned by Seven. That was a little awkward but when he turned to see his face, well all that disappeared. He looked so… anguished. He must have been having a horrible dream because every now and then Seven would mumble for someone to “Stop hurting him." Zack sighed, life was simply unfair. He really wanted to drink some water but he didn’t want to wake Seven. Or should he? What if that nightmare was really bad? Zack turned back and hesitantly shook Seven awake. It took a good two minutes before Seven jolted so violently he punched Zack in the gut. 

Seven sat up gasping for breath and griping the bed sheet like a vise. “Where!?” He choked. 

Zack sat up and peered into his face. “It’s okay. It’s a safe place.” Was that the right thing to say? 

“Safe?” Seven looked around and slowly started to calm down. “Right… Right.” He let out a shaky breath and nodded. “Safe.” 

Zack breathed out. That really scared him, it was probably the right decision to wake him up. “Do…” He wanted to ask he felt well rested but he didn’t want to make him relive it. But then… He hugged Seven from behind. “It’s… over now. You’re,” he struggled greatly to find the right words, “you’re here with me.” And he felt as if he failed miserably. 

_Toxic._

He hugged Seven tighter as his own nightmares creeped up his neck. “Sorry.” He mumbled. Things like this, he wasn’t the right person. He couldn’t help others when he himself was so weak. Right? That’s how it works? 

Seven just patted his hand and pulled away. He mumbled something, Zack couldn’t catch it, and went to the restroom. 

Zack fell back and covered his eyes with his arm. “Damn.” He wished he was better at this kind of stuff. 

 

Once Seven was out Zack went in and looked at his face in the mirror. Maybe things had been pretty hectic but today he felt pretty good. With the ring gone he felt freer and weightless. After cleaning himself up a bit, and looking more presentable, Zack rejoined Seven on the bed. He looked through his emails and sighed, some psychiatrist was contacting in response from an email from Jumin. Maybe he could try but not right now. 

“ZEN’s complainin’ about Jumin.” 

“When isn’t he?” Zack said offhandedly. He leaned back and chuckled. “Wow, I feel really pathetic. I’m just sitting here scrolling through my phone. I’m too dependent on this thing.” 

“Eh, it’s modern times.” Seven sounded like he was forcing himself to be happy. 

Zack looked back and smiled. He sniffed the air. “Egh, do you smell something…sour?” 

Seven nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been breathing through my mouth this whole time.” 

“What _is_ that?” He felt sick from sensory overload. He looked over at Seven and spotted something in the corner. “Hey… what’s that?” 

Seven looked over and picked it up. “A cane.” 

“What?… How long has that been there?” 

Seven shrugged. “Sure will help though, huh?” He handed it to him. “Now you don’t have to use us as your crutches. Or walk with that goofy limp.” 

“Tsk.” Zack smirked. _Had it been there this whole time?_ He stood up and tested out the cane, good enough. At least it alleviated some of the pain. 

The two walked out into the living room and gagged, the smell was fowl. A chef was mixing something in a giant metal pot and whatever was inside smelled like soured milk with soured cheese. Zack covered his mouth and moved towards Jumin’s room. “What is _that?_ ” He called from the doorway. The smell was in here too. 

Jumin sat up from his bed and looked god-awful.

“Oh? What the?! Are you sick!?” Zack walked over to him. 

“No.” 

Seven looked in. “Wow! A rare sight! Hangovered Jumin wishes to battle.” 

“What?” Zack looked back. “Hangover? When did _that_ happen?” Jumin just shoved his face into the pillow. “Pfft I mean, I know you were drinking last night but it wasn’t that much. Was it?” He looked back at Seven. 

“Mmm I think it was three glas-“ 

Jumin leaned up. “I had three bottles.” 

“What!?” They both said simultaneously. 

“I had. Three. Bottles.” 

Zack scoffed. “Uhhh did you go out drinking while we were asleep?” 

“No.” Jumin grumbled. 

“What then? When did you drink so much?” 

“I don’t know why. I was just… thinking and then three bottles were gone.” 

Seven looked over at the living room. “Uh… I count five.” 

“Jumin…” Zack sighed. “Are you stressed or something?” 

“Please… let’s stop talking.” 

Zack shook his head and glanced over at the nightstand. That… 

**~* 10 am *~**

Zack held Butty in his arms as he sat in Seven’s car. The duo couldn’t take the smell of the “hangover cure” and decided to get breakfast elsewhere. It was nice to be out in the open with his cat. Well… it wasn’t really _his_ cat but still. They had gotten a call during their meal that Butty was ready to be picked up. Since Zack was out, he figure’d they’d pick him up. 

“That is the damndest, cutest, male, cat that I’ve ever seen. Elly is the cutest girl cat.” Seven looked over. 

“Tch, he’s cute yeah but like… I guess?” Butty was kinda ugly at times. 

Seven gasped. “Rude.” He picked up the Tabby and ruffled his fur. “Sooo cuuuuutee!” 

“Remember, while he may be used to affection, he’s still from the streets.” Zack leaned back and scrolled through his phone. “Don’t get scratched.” 

“What are you going to do with him?” 

“Take him back.” 

“To the apartment?” 

“No. I don’t live there anymore.” He said it harsher than he meant to. 

Seven lowered the cats paws. “Oh.” 

“I told you, I hate that place.” He handed him the key. “Here, I got everything I needed and if I didn’t just throw it away or keep it.” 

“Okay…” 

“Don’t look so sad.” Zack pinched his cheek. “Oh, look.” He showed him the ring from the HBC prize. “Thanks for this, it calms me down a bit to have the feeling of it.” 

“No problem! But… on your ring finger?” 

“Well, it’s where I’m most used to it. Do you feel uncomfortable about that?” He leaned forward. “Hmm~?” 

“No.” Seven grinned. “Not at all… but happy that I was able to help. Even just a little. Cuz… you…” He looked at Butty. “This morning you…” 

Zack looked at him head on. _Did I mess up? Or did it help?_ “Did I…” 

Seven’s phone started to ring. Screwed by the bell. “Ah! This is important. Um here.” He put Butty back in Zack’s lap and quickly exited the car. 

Zack looked down at Butty and put his cone back on. “You look good.” He mumbled. “Thank you…” He sighed and dug through his pockets to grab his wallet. “…” He had to do it. 

After a good hour, Zack had moved to a bench to enjoy the sun (thankfully it was out again). He had Buttyin his cage and was using it as a foot rest. Every one in a while he would swallow and feel his fingers twitch. He knew what he was planning on doing wasn’t going to be good. Jumin may hate him forever but… He had to do it. He unlocked his phone and pressed V’s profile. He opened the PM and sent him a single text. 

> **Zack:** I’m going to be at Sunshine Orphanage. I know about the letter you left Rika. Your secrets are mine now. 

That was a little aggressive but he needed to use fear to get V moving. Now he just had to wait. A sense of dread dropped into his stomach, so much so that he felt like vomiting. He was terrified but he couldn’t back down. Well… he _could_ but he didn’t really want to. 

Seven jogged up to him. “I gotta run. Let me drop you off.” 

“Okay.” He knew he shouldn’t ask questions. 

Once they reached the building Seven smiled. “Okay! Thank you for the fun night.” 

“Bye.” Zack nodded absently. He was too focused on his little mission. “Uh I mean, me too!” He smiled. “You stay safe, you hear?” 

“Yuppers! You too!” 

**~* 11:30 am *~**

Zack stepped into the apartment and ran his teeth over his bottom lip. The smell was still there but it wasn’t as horrible as it was before. He carefully placed Butty down and let him out. Butty immediately went to Elizabeth’s cage and stared at her. “Don’t fight or I’ll throw water on you.” He said sharply. He quietly peered into Jumin’s room. Was he asleep? 

Zack silently shuffled to the bed and looked at Jumin’s sleeping body. Poor thing. Why’d he drink so much? Were things really so bad? He leaned forward and listened for the signs of a deep slumber. Zack turned to the nightstand and bit his lip. He reached for Jumin’s wallet. His hands were shaking so badly he thought he was going to drop it. Fear enveloped his senses as he opened the wallet and pulled out all the cash. 

_I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’ll pay you back! I swear!_ He put the wallet back down and spotted the car keys. He gently placed his hand on top of it and lightly dragged it off the table. 

“HISSSS!” 

Zack jumped, the keys hit the table. Jumin stirred awake and rolled over with a groan. Zack shoved the money into his pocket and took a step back. “Um.” He glanced at the keys. Before Jumin could turn around fully Zack snatched them and held it tightly in his hands. 

“What…was that? Elizabeth?” 

“I-It’s me.” No use in trying to hide. Butty was here so obviously Zack would be too. 

“What was that?” Jumin held his head in pain. “I’m going to be sick…” He mumbled. 

“Uh Butty’s… Butty’s home. I got the call from Dr. El this morning. Seven and I went to breakfast to-“ 

“You… went out together?” Jumin eyed him, he looked annoyed. 

_Geez, what’s with the sudden anger?_ “Well the smell of your hangover medicine was gross. Plus, you know, Dr. El called and Seven had a car so we went.” 

“I-“ Jumin shot up and ran to the restroom. Zack let out a shaky breath and went to the living room, mainly so he didn’t have to hear the gross sound of heaving. The cats were still looking at each other. But… purring this time. “Hope that’s a good sign.” He silently packed his things and looked at his hands. He was still shaking. _I’m crazy. I can’t believe I stole money from Jumin… dammit… dammit I swear I’ll make it up to him…_

“Zachary? Where are you?” 

“Uhh be right there!” He called out. “J-just get back in bed!” He shoved the journal into his bag and checked his phone. Still no V. He needed to leave soon. He glanced at the cats as he walked back to Jumin’s room. They were still staring at each other. Now Elizabeth was rubbing her face on the cage as Butty watched. _Ergh… if they fight and Elizabeth gets hurt… Jumin would probably literally kill him._

“Is everything okay?” Jumin had a washcloth on his forehead. 

“I should be asking you that? Come on, why’d you drink so much? Were you feeling upset about that morning? Don’t you worry, everything will be okay. I told you, you can use me as an excuse you know.” 

“Right.” Jumin peeked over at him. “Are you okay? You look a little scared.” 

_Come on Zack, get it together._ “No. I’m fine. Are you going to be okay?” 

“Mmm, yes. I think I’m just going to sleep this off.” He rolled to his side. “You have the run of the house. Anything you want you can get. If I don’t have something you want call the front desk and have them get it for you.” 

_Trust… he trusts me. Shit._ “O-okay. I’ll just be… watching TV.” He bit his lip. 

“And don’t let the cats hang out together.” 

A _bit late for that._ “Okay.” 

“But I forgot to change Elizabeth’s water. Get the diamond water from the fridge and make sure she drinks out of her crystal bowl.” 

_Am I getting flexed on?_ “Right.” Zack rolled his eyes. “Just rest up.” 

“Yes. I’m sorry to waste our day like this.” 

_Sorry Jumin, but you having a hangover works wonders for me._ “It’s okay.” He smiled and left the room. 

Where was Butty? Probably wandering around or whatever. Hopefully not marking the walls or whatever it is boy cats do. “Tsk.” He opened Elizabeth’s cage and grabbed the crystal bowl. “It’s… real crystal.” He glanced at Elizabeth. “Mmhmm. That’s not surprising.” Cage door closed, but not locked. He went to the fridge and muttered his plan to himself. Whenever he thought about Sunflower, he felt like throwing up. He turned back. “Fuck.” Where was El? He looked over at froze. Both the cats were circling each other. He felt his breathing quicken, _shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit_ , Butty raised his tail, _nonononononononono_ , Elizabeth lowered herself into a pounce position, _nooooooooooooo_ , the two pawed each other and then… nothing. They just stared at each other and then walked to the couch together. “…” Was that normal? _Nah… what? Did they become friends that fast? How???_ “Uh…” Zack put the water back in the cage. He looked around. “Okay Elli, let’s get you in your-“ 

His phone buzzed. 

> **V:** Zachary! No! Don’t go there!  
>  **V:** I am heading there now! You better not be there!!

Zack dropped everything and quickly grabbed his bag and left Jumin’s penthouse. “Checkmate.” 

**~* 1 pm *~**

“ZACHARY!” V yelled into the phone. Hands free of course. Zack smirked as he accelerated the gas. “What are you thinking!? I specifically told you that-“ 

“What are you afraid I’ll find?” Zack said calmly. 

“That’s… I… Just… Just go back to the apartment!” 

“Rika did something. Something that you’re trying to deny.” 

V audibly choked up. 

“Bulls eye. I’ll make a deal with you. If you confess I’ll go home.” 

“I… that is…” 

Zack was hitting 90mph. With this he’d make record time in getting there. “So that’s a no?” He scoffed. “Okie dokie V.” 

“I… I can’t Zack but please go ho-“ 

Zack hung up. “Mmhmm.” He sang to the radio, a false sense of giddiness welled up in his chest. He glanced at his phone, nothing from Jumin, seemed he was probably still asleep. He breathed out slowly and psyched himself up from what he was going to say. He could do this. 

**SUNFLOWER ORPHANAGE  
4 pm**

Zack stepped out of the car and looked up at the brooding steps. “Tss.” He glanced around for any other cars. Nothing. “Well. Let’s go stairs.” 

Hell. Those stairs could go die in hell. He pressed his hands to his sides and let out exhausted breaths. “Shit.” He grasped his chest. “That still hurts like hell.” His legs were screaming and don’t even get him started on his ankle. He took a seat at the bench and caught his breath. “Okay… let’s get this show on the road.” He dug out the note from V and read it over again. 

“S and S truth at Weeping Angel”

 

_Weeping angel… weeping angel… hmm… S and S?_ “Oh! That one!? Really… that’s kinda obvious right?” He used his cane to help him up and headed over to the angel holding the locket with some kind of S name engraved into it. She wasn’t a weeping angel though and no matter what he did he couldn’t get the locket out. He circled the perimeter, using his cane as a whacking stick to dig through the foliage. Good thing too, seemed there were a lot of hidden statues out here. It didn’t take him long to find three weeping angels. One near the playground, one near the church, and one near the entrance that had been engulfed in creeping vines. Thank the lord for pocket knives, that wouldn’t been a huge pain in the ass otherwise. 

“Okay, let’s see.” Neither the letter nor the note narrowed it down. But three wasn’t too big a deal. He started with the one at the playground. He found only grubs and a forgotten teddy bear that was now a host for some kind of fungi. Statue two, the one near the entrance, had a small time capsule that held four pictures. The first was of two twin babies. There was a rather… drugged out looking woman in the background, and it most definitely wasn’t from pain medication. It looked like she was on heroin based on her far away look. Oh and the visible track marks also tipped him off. In the foreground were two nurses holding the babies. “Yeesh…” He turned the picture over. ’S&S’. He went to the next one. This one had one of the babies hooked up to a lot of machines. He looked at it closer, the other twin was next to the first but had only two machines connected to it. S—— sleeping next to S——. _These sure are helpful. Sarcasm._ He looked at the final picture. It was of the weaker twin. Ah. Zack had seen these type of machines before. This baby must have been really sick. And… from what he could guess, based on the mother, this baby was addicted to heroin. Poor thing. The other one he wasn’t too sure. 

Zack sighed and carefully pocketed the time capsule. He went over to the last weeping angel and began to dig around. “Great. Another safe…” He looked at it all around. A simple key lock, and of course he didn’t have the key. Zack sighed and walked over to the cliffside. He stared out at the sunset and smiled. What a beautiful sight. The creek was still running rapid from the storm a few days ago, that’d be good for the land. 


	16. Day 10 Bad Ending: The Reset Theory (Part 1)

Zack stood near the overlook of Sunshine Hill. He smiled as he breathed in the sweet scent of nature. He held the safe tightly in his hands as looked down at the lake. Maybe he could just toss it. Today was proving to be a victory and Zack felt closer to finding the  real truth on the RFA. Savior, Paradise, Demons, Angels, strange twin babies; it was like some kind of drama. The only person he truly trusted now was Jumin and Seven. Once he gave them the evidence the secrets of this hell-hole would finally be unlocked. 

“Angel, I have come for you.” 

Zack turned to see a white haired young man in front of him. “Who… were you sent by V?”

The white haired man’s eye twitched. “Don’t EVER say that to me again.” He snapped. Then, he gasped in realization and gripped his head. He took a few deep breaths and nodded to himself. Quietly he said, “This… I’ve been waiting for this. I wanted you to be all mine but you keep slipping from my fingers.” He clenched his fist. 

_That voice… Have I heard it before?_

“I’ve done horrible things to myself in order to find a place where you and I could finally be together.” The white haired man stepped closer. “Tell me, what is freedom?” 

Zack shook his head. 

“Just answer.” 

He glanced for any kind of exit. It’d be a stretch but he could slip past the man if he ran to the left. “It’s… a complicated thing. One moment it can be so invigorating, it makes you feel like you could do anything and everything. The next moment it’s the most crushing thing in the world. Freedom comes with a price. Your happiness won’t solely come from freedom, but it can be the start of it.” 

The white haired man hummed. “Angel indeed. Yes, I could get used talking to you like this.” 

Zack inched towards his exit. “O-oh.” 

“Please, don’t run.” The white haired man smiled as he stepped in front him him. “If you run you’ll most likely slip and fall.” 

Zack looked back in the mans pale colored eyes and swallowed in fear. “Get away.” He warned. 

The man sighed and shook his head. “I’m so sorry, but I need you to solve this much faster. For both our sakes.” He took a step forward. 

“Hey! Back up!” Zack held the safe tightly to his chest. 

“Sorry, Angel.” The man spoke softly. “But what I’m about to do to you is kinder then what she was going to do.” 

Zack sucked in breath when he felt a pair of hands shove him over the edge.

“SAERAN NO!” 

“Y-you! G-Get away! GET AWAY!” 

He heard the safe hit the ground first. A loud collision of metal meeting water rang in his ears. At first he felt… freedom, the same happy feeling he felt when he and Seven talked. The same kind of feeling when the three played video games. The same kind of feeling for when he got rid of his ring. And then… 

Pain. 

The cold water of the flooded creek ran through his ears. His mouth filled with some kind of metallic liquid. His eyes stung as hot tears rolled down his cheek. His fingers twitched when he felt the bones of death reach down to caress him. Becoming one with nature was almost beautiful. He could hear someone calling his name but soon that started to fade. 

Zack smiled. 

_The sky is…perfect._

 

**Continued in Seven’s Route Day 0: The Reset Theory pt. 2**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes it's short. Seven route should be out now


	17. Day 10: Pushed (Part 2)

He smiled as he breathed in the sweet scent of nature. He held the safe tightly in his hands as looked down at the lake. Maybe he could just toss it. Today was proving to be a victory and Zack felt closer to finding the  real truth on the RFA. Savior, Paradise, Demons, Angels, strange twin babies; it was like some kind of drama. The only person he truly trusted now was Jumin and Seven. Once he gave them the evidence the secrets of this hell-hole would finally be unlocked. 

“Angel, I have come for you.” 

Zack turned to see a white haired young man in front of him. “Who… were you sent by V?”

The white haired man’s eye twitched. “Don’t EVER say that to me again.” He snapped. Then, he gasped in realization and gripped his head. He took a few deep breaths and nodded to himself. Quietly he said, “This… I’ve been waiting for this. I wanted you to be all mine but you keep slipping from my fingers.” He clenched his fist. 

_That voice… Have I heard it before?_

“I’ve done horrible things to myself in order to find a place where you and I could finally be together.” The white haired man stepped closer. “Tell me, what is freedom?” 

Zack shook his head. 

“Just answer.” 

He glanced for any kind of exit. It’d be a stretch but he could slip past the man if he ran to the left. “It’s… a complicated thing. One moment it can be so invigorating, it makes you feel like you could do anything and everything. The next moment it’s the most crushing thing in the world. Freedom comes with a price. Your happiness won’t solely come from freedom, but it can be the start of it.” 

The white haired man hummed. “Angel indeed. Yes, I could get used talking to you like this.” 

Zack inched towards his exit. “O-oh.” 

“Please, don’t run.” The white haired man smiled as he stepped in front him him. “If you run you’ll most likely slip and fall.” 

Zack looked back in the mans pale colored eyes and swallowed in fear. “Get away.” He warned. 

The man sighed and shook his head. “I’m so sorry, but I need you to solve this much faster. For both our sakes.” He took a step forward. 

“Hey! Back up!” Zack held the safe tightly to his chest. 

“Don’t… do it.” V came up from behind the white haired man. “Don’t… Just step away from him.” 

Zack felt his blood boil as he watched V casually walk up to them. The white haired man suddenly grabbed Zack by the collar and pulled him in a tight neck hold. He grabbed the safe and tossed it aside. Zack felt the man pull the time capsule out of his pocket. 

“Don’t!” V took a step forward. 

“STAY BACK!” The white haired man pressed something to Zack’s neck. It felt like a needle of some sort. “Heh…ehehehe look _V_ I’m doing you a great service here. You _know_ what’s in this syringe.” He tightened his hold on Zack’s neck. Suddenly it was getting harder and harder to breathe. “And you know if I make him pass out he’ll have a hell of a time waking up again. If ever.” 

V took a step back. “Okay… okay you’re in charge.” 

“Y-yeah! I am! Now open the safe.” 

“I don’t have the key.” 

“You’re lying!!” 

Zack grunted as he felt the needle press into his neck. 

“Okay… Okay…” V stepped towards the safe. He looked at Zack and then closed his pale colored eyes. “I’m sorry Zack.” 

The white haired man gasped. V turned inserted the key and turned it to the left and suddenly smoke started to seep out. “NO! NO NO NO!!” Zack winced as he felt something being injected into his skin. The white haired man shoved him to the ground and ran to the safe. “WHAT DID YOU DO!?” He turned the key right and sure enough, the contents inside were set ablaze. “NO!!! YOU!! NO!!!” 

Zack gasped for breath and gripped his neck. “W-what is this?! It’s hot! It’s burning!” he crawled along the ground. He felt strange, it was as if he both simultaneously sweating and shivering. 

“HOW DARE YOU! NO! NO! NO! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE!?” The white haired man gripped his head. “I’m… dead… no… no…” 

Zack arched his back of the ground. He felt his body seize. Foam started to form at his mouth and he couldn’t breathe. 

The white haired man looked over. “Ha…hahaha! Look at that _V!_ Your little plan has backfired!!” 

“Zack! Stay with me! Come on Zack!” V held his body down and searched through his pockets. 

“The fallen angel is allergic to the serum. Ho hum, I dunno if he’s gonna make it…” 

“Come on Zack! Come on!” 

“He’s going into anaphylactic shock.” The white haired man laughed. 

“If he dies what will Savior think!? You already destroyed what she wanted!” 

White haired gasped. He gripped his head in agony. “Oh god… oh god… FAILURE FAILURE FAILURE FAILURE!!!” He kept screaming it over and over and started to slap himself across the face. 

V gritted his teeth, he was hoping that would’ve gotten him to help. Seemed nothing was turning out right for him today. He grabbed a stick from the ground and made Zack clench his teeth on it. “Okay Zack, let’s stay calm.” V was saying it mainly to himself. 

“FAILURE FAILURE FAILURE FAILURE FAILURE!!” 

“Damn.” He searched his back pocket. “I’m going to need you to swallow this okay?” He spoke calmly but his hands were shaking as he opened a pill bottle. “Okay… okay.” He opened Zack’s mouth and dropped in three pills. Zack choked. He could feel each individual one running down his throat. “Okay…okay…” 

“FAILURE FAILURE FAILURE!!!” 

V squeezed his eyes shut, he was trying to think. “Okay… let’s go. The capsule… the time capsule.” That man still had it. “Dammit! Okay! I need to get you down the stairs. How…” He looked around in panic. “Okay, I can do this.” He took a deep breath. “Zack. The pills I gave you are going to make you pass out. Okay?” 

Zack lulled his head to the side. “…” 

“Okay. Okay.” V took a shaky breath as he led them towards the stairs. He glanced back at the white haired man. The world was starting to go dark. “Please Sa*r*n stop!!!” 

Zack closed his eyes. He felt high at first and then he couldn’t feel anything. Not the pain in his legs, the pills in his body, the serum in his bloodstream, nothing. He couldn’t think or speak. Everything was dead. He was…gone. 

**~* 10 pm *~**

Each sense slowly came back to him. First he could feel the leather of a car. Then he could hear someone lowly murmuring into a phone. Next came the taste of medicine that seemed to envelop his whole tongue. The smell cigarettes and city life seemed to come at him like a punch to the face. And finally, he was able to open his eyes to see a car roof. He grunted. Someone turned around. 

“Zack.” It was V. “Are… you awake?” 

Zack nodded and groaned. “What happened!?” 

V jumped, seemed he wasn’t expecting a sudden outburst like that. “You… had an allergic reaction.” 

“To what!?” 

“To… a… sort of medicine.” 

“Let me guess.” Zack sat up and winced. “You’re not, argh, gonna tell me!” He glared at V. “Give me a good reason as to why I _shouldn’t_ punch you in your damn face!” 

“… You have every right…” V sighed. “… why did you go-“ 

“Why do you think!?!” Zack punched the roof of the car. “You! YOU MADE ME GO!” He started coughing. Something blue was coming out. “W-what is-“ 

V handed him a handkerchief. “That’s good, you’ve been throwing that up for a good while.” 

“W-what?” 

“It’s… best to purge it as fast as you can. Sorry… I had to stick my fingers down your throat to get you to vomit. Luciel gave you some medicine that I requested.” He was sitting in the drivers side holding the wheel tightly. “… I’ve brought you back to Jumin’s. Everyone… saw what happened.” 

“What? How?” 

“That… young man was recording everything.” He sighed. “I… I gave you a large dose of some natural herbs so you may feel a bit woozy.” 

“Tch! This is stupid! You know what?! You want those damn files so bad!? Take them! I’m done! I’m straight up done!” 

“… I don’t… blame you…” 

“And you know what pisses me off more!? You! You just sit here looking all sad but you don’t explain anything! What? You just waiting for me to get out of the car!?” 

“…” 

“Tch.” 

“I’m… that man is… he’s a,” V looked back at him, “something very bad has happened.” 

_Yeah no shit._

“But I’m working to take care of it. I… I thought the party could give the RFA some joy and I used you just for that. I used you so the others could be distracted. In… in truth I just had Seven make sure you weren’t dangerous. I didn’t… I didn’t care…” He shook his head and tried to think things through. “It’s true. I didn’t care to know anything more about you. As long as you were sane that’s all that mattered.” He shook his head. “I didn’t bother to even think about if you qualified to throwing a party. I just thought, good they can have something to smile about again.” He sighed. “And then… I was reminded you were human. You were curious and had problems and questions and likes and dislikes. You were no longer this object, I was reminded that you were indeed a person. I was, I just, I couldn’t believe I used you like that.” He rubbed his tired eyes. “I… am… so sorry.” 

Zack looked away. He didn’t say anything as he got out of the car. He mumbled a halfhearted thanks. He didn’t know what that blue stuff did but he did feel slightly fatigued. What was inside of him? What did it do to his body? He opened his wallet, he needed to pay back Jumin. The money he had stolen was meant for gas and any other emergencies. He only used a few bucks for gas but… 

He frowned as he rode up the elevator. Everything… was just annoying. He leaned against the elevator walls and closed his eyes. “Fuck…” He slid down the walls and held himself in a sort of fetal position. He had almost died. Again. The elevator doors opened but he didn’t get up. He just sat there holding his knees and trying hard not to cry. The doors closed. The elevator didn’t move. He pressed his head agains the cool metal and felt his neck. He shuddered. The feeling of choking to death flew into his mind. The feeling of the needle seared into his neck. It had went in so deep, he could feel it touching his throat, scratching at his flesh digging and carving into him. 

The elevator doors opened. 

Zack looked up as Jumin fell to his knees and pulled him close. Zack gripped Jumin’s shirt and breathed in deeply. They looked into each others eyes and they kissed. Was this right? It felt right. It felt safe. Why was it happening? He wasn’t totally sure but he wanted it. It was soft and caring and the fear of being alone started to melt. He leaned into Jumin and wrapped his arms around his neck. The kiss wasn’t deep. Just gentle and slow. 

They pulled away slowly. It was clear in Jumin’s eyes he was terrified. That’s right, they all saw him dying. All of them were forced to watch him nearly die. He must have seen him going into shock from the strange serum.

“Another.” Zack murmured. Jumin reached over and pressed the elevator stop button and then closed the doors. 

The CEO leaned against the wall. It seemed he wanted to say something but right now didn’t feel like a time for words. Zack moved between Jumin’s legs and pressed his hands to Jumin’s chest. “I’m…” He felt shy suddenly and let out a small whimper as they kissed once more. With each passing second the kiss intensified. It had been so long since he was kissed this passionately. He was shaking when he felt Jumin’s tongue move with his. Zack slightly opened his eyes and let out a strangled moan. Jumin gripped Zack’s waist and pulled him in tighter. 

“Nngh.” He straddled Jumin’s waist and pressed into him. “Jumin… I’m sor- ah!” Jumin pressed his lips to Zack’s neck, right near the spot where that guy injected him. “Careful, he did something to me.” Jumin’s grip tightened as he dragged his tongue around the sight. “Ah! L-lower just a bi- Mmmngh.” He dragged his fingers through Jumin’s hair. _He likes it too right? Or…_ Zack pulled Jumin’s hair lightly. “Are… are you doing this out of pity?” His voice hitched. “Or do you-“ 

Jumin gripped his chin and locked eyes with him. “Since you arrived, I’ve felt something that I don’t think I’ve felt in a long time. Ease. When I’m with you things feel… calmer. My mind is monopolized by you. I think, I wonder if he’s doing well, or, I think he’ll smile if I do this. I want to see your smile. And… seeing you look so terrified, laying on the ground as you… realized you… were dying.” Jumin pressed his forehead to Zack’s chest. “It’s not pity. I just… don’t know what I’d do if… you had died.” 

Zack held Jumin tightly and nodded. He tilted the CEO’s chin and breathed out slowly. “I’m… weak.” 

“You’re not weak. You’ve just been taught, like me, to deal with your problems on your own. You were taught that problems make you seem weak. That problems make you… imperfect. If you speak your problems then-“ 

“-You’re just complaining.” Zack looked away, distant to a night he didn’t wish to think about. “Your problems… aren’t like other peoples, who…” he choked up “who gave you the right to think you’re special?” And he broke down. He covered his mouth as he sobbed into his hands. Jumin pressed him close to his chest and petted his hair. “I! Do-don’t… deserve… this!” Zack cried. “S-sorry… I’m sorry!” 

“Shhh… don’t be sorry. You have a right to feel pain. You have a right to feel anger and frustration and sadness. You are you and no one else. You have your own mind, your own thoughts, your own feelings. You’re allowed to feel.” 

Zack nodded and sobbed harder into his hands. 

_Who gave you the right to act as if that little_ **_problem_ ** _of yours was even worth giving a shit about!?_

Zack held Jumin tightly and cried into his shoulder. 

_Really Zack? You’re complaining about_ **_that?_ ** _Tch do you think that’s even worth complaining about?_

He shook as he told him how sorry he was. 

_Zachary sweet heart. Don’t talk about that_ **_stuff_ ** _in front of other people. I know you’re angry but people are trying to enjoy their day._

But with each sorry he yelled out, Jumin just kissed his forehead and patted his back. 

_Zachary. It’s best to just keep those things to yourself. Never let it out to others because you don’t know what they’re going through and it’d be_ **_selfish_ ** _to bring others down._

And he told him that there was nothing to be sorry about. That he could cry if he needed to. 

_Zack I don’t want to see you sad. Hey, this is our home now._ **_Ours_ ** _. We can speak our minds here._

All of it was okay. 

_Zack… dying alone is the worse thing in the world. No one will remember you. No one will ever notice you’re gone. There won’t be a day where someone thinks of you and feels the loss of your warmth. If you ever find someone, hold on and never let go. No matter what. Because, at least then, you’d have someone._

Zack shook his head and fought to steady his breathing. 

_You. Are._ **_Suffocating_ ** _. You expect so damn much out of me and when I try to tell you to please let off you get all fuckin’ offended!! I couldn’t even talk to you!! I was in a damn prison in my own house! Every second of every day, god it was awful! You just… you suck the life out of everything! I… I could’t take it anymore! And then! We are just too similar! I felt like… like I couldn’t do anything! You are so fuckin’ lazy and you don’t do shit! You just keep taking and taking little bits of me trying to make me into your stupid imagine of a true love! I would try and try and try with you but it wasn’t enough!!! You just… you’re so!! UGH! I felt like I was walking on eggshells around you! I hated going home!!_

Me too. I hated going home too. Because… I was suffocating the both of us. But now… I… 

Zack looked up at Jumin and smiled. “Thank you.” 

** *~*  **

Zack laid next to Jumin in the bed looking towards the night sky. Neither was asleep, both just silently grateful that the other person was there. He looked over at Jumin and wormed his way towards him. “Can I?” He peeked up at him. 

“Hm?” 

“Lay with you like this?” 

“Mm.” Jumin moved his arm and held Zack tightly as he read with his free hand. Once Zack had calmed down they moved to the apartment and took separate showers in their separate rooms. Zack changed into his pajamas and got himself a glass of water. Jumin petted Elizabeth from her cage (how’d she get back there?) while Butty watched from his seat on the couch. After that, wordlessly, the two went to Jumin’s bedroom and got comfortable. Now they were here. 

A couple? 

Zack didn’t know. 

But both just… enjoyed. 

Zack eyed the book, it had been six minutes since Jumin started reading and not once had he turned the page yet. “You have… something on your mind?” 

“Yes. I thought I could take my mind off of it by reading but… I don’t even know what book I picked up.” He read the title. “I don’t even remember this.” With a soft _thump_ he put the book on the bedside table and sighed. “You stole from me.” 

Zack swallowed and tried to pull away. No good. “I… I’m going to pay you back.” 

“I don’t care about that. Why? Why didn’t you wait for me or tell me?” 

“I… dunno. I just… thought only of myself getting revenge… or. I dunno…” He shrugged. “I just… I was so sure that I’d won that I left on my own.” 

Jumin rolled to his side and stared at Zack in the face. “I woke up to a video of you about to be shoved off a cliff.” 

Zack looked down. 

“I almost want to lock you up here to keep you from doing something like this ever again.” 

“I… get it. I did something stupid.” 

“Stupid doesn’t even begin- it doesn’t matter.” 

Zack frowned. “I’m sorry.” 

“Just… tell one of us that you’ll be there.” 

“I told V.” 

“Tell someone else.” 

Zack felt his lip twitch. _What…? I though you trusted him?_ “Okay.” He breathed in slowly. “I promise.” He looked up at him and smiled. “I feel really comfortable now.” 

“Good.” So casually did Jumin kiss him on the lips. And so causally did they continue to indulge in it, as if they couldn’t find a way to stop. Neither went further than kissing, they both knew going further would be toxic for each other, but that night, as he sighed out his name with each parting kiss, he felt as if he were loved. Truly. No regrets, no fears, no forcing. It was just, pure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope this is okay. It felt pretty right to me but I'll see how you all like it.


	18. Day 11 Part 1: Indecisive

So, it seems that it has come to this. Zack stared at the video made by that unknown man. He had replayed it over and over and couldn’t stop watching it. First it’s himself looking out at the cliff. Then comes that man. He can see the skepticism in his own face as that person gets closer. Then comes V. That man grabs Zack as V tries to reason with him, every time he watched that part he could feel the needle inside of his neck. V looks terrified as well and based on his expression he really isn’t a part of that whole Savior business. That’s at least something. 

Oh… this part. The part where Zack is actually dying. He watched himself convulse and grasp for something to save him. He watches as his eyes roll into the back of his head. He watches it all. He scrolls back to that part over and over again, and he doesn’t even realize that’s he’s doing it. 

Dying. In a place that isn’t near his home. His parents would get the phone call, of how their son died of mysterious circumstances. Dead at the age of 23. His life just over. 

Over. 

His phone lifts from his hands. “That’s enough Zachary.” Jumin stares down at him. “Stop watching that video already.” 

“Sorry.” He sat up. Today, by Jumin’s orders, he was on complete bed rest. If all goes well, they were planning on holding the RFA meeting here at around 4 pm. But right now, he had just woken up thirty minutes ago, he needed to address something. “Uhm… Jumin I…” He stared up at him. “Jumin, uhm about last night. I, uh, I understand if you were just in the moment. Or something. So-“ 

“Didn’t I tell you already? I wasn’t doing it for any strange reason. Only that I wanted to because it’s you and I like you.” He seems hesitant to say the next line. “Do you, do… do you want to forget that night?” 

“No.” He smiled painfully. “It’s… just… you’re the second person I’ve ever kissed. So I feel a little guilty.” 

“Guilty?” He sat down on the side of the bed with him. 

“I mean… it’s like I’m betraying Lloy-“ 

Jumin sighed. “You must be kidding. He cheated on you. He kissed another while you were loyal.” 

“Ungh.” Zack looked away. The hard truth was hard to swallow. 

Jumin gripped his chin. “I apologize.” 

“No, you’re right. I can’t believe I’m still deluding myself.” 

“You’re not. You have only had one partner, yes?” 

“Yes.” He sighed. “Wait… how many have you had?” 

“You are my first.” 

Zack stared at him blankly. “W-what!? What was with that technique then!? You took my breath away!” 

“Mmm.” He was smirking as he gently brushed Zack’s hair out of his face. 

Zack looked at him fondly but… Being his first in anything essentially sounded a little off-putting. Not that he wanted Jumin to be experienced, it was more like he was afraid of Jumin finding someone he liked better. Just like Lloyd had done. “I…” And that terrified him. Jumin just had only him right now and maybe he was deluding himself to find attraction in Zack. Just like he and Lloyd had done. “I…I…” And though he shouldn’t be worrying about this right now, he couldn’t help but feel something. He had been having feelings for him too but… ugh everything was too messed up. “I don’t know what to do.” 

Jumin just smiled and fixed Zack’s stray hairs. “It’s okay. You need to move at your speed.” 

_And you need to meet more people. See who you really like, there’s…always someone much better._ “Y-yeah.” This affection was so nice but he had to look at this rationally. “But I don’t regret last night.” 

“It gives me conflicting feelings.” Jumin looked out the window, his eyes looked a little scary. “I have thought about this when you fell asleep. You keep running off and nearly getting yourself killed. I think I need to keep a stricter eye on you. I won’t let jealousy cloud my duties to you anymore.” 

“What… do you mean?” 

“Nothing.” He looked back at him and smiled. “Just stay there and relax. I’m going to let Butty out so he can stretch.” 

“Ah, speaking of, uhm… did they get along?” 

“What do you mean? You left them in their cages.” 

_I truly don’t remember that._ “O-oh yeah.” _Who put those two away?_ “Jumin… I…” He sighed and smiled. “Thanks for… for everything.” Jumin nodded and headed over to the living room. 

So now he was put on bed rest. Honestly, after his day yesterday, he didn’t totally mind that. It’d give him time to really think and to research the email from Dr. Yani. He’d want to talk with Jumin there but that’d be asking too much. Plus he wanted to be able to learn to talk alone. He decided to set up an appointment as soon as possible. Once he was satisfied that Dr. Yani was legit, especially since it said Jumin recommended him, he typed up his email. 

And send.

He put his phone down and closed his eyes. 

Bing! 

_Huh? Already?_ He opened his email. 

‘Mr. Rein. I believe we should meet tomorrow. -Dr. Yani’ 

Wow. That was really fast. Well tomorrow would be nice. He might as well utilize some resources while he’s still here. Maybe he’d be able to sort out his feelings for everything. Plus, this was good, right? This was the step in the right direction that everyone wanted. Well, now that was- 

“Good morning Jumin~!” 

_Ew. I mean uh oh. It’s Sarah_. Zack leaned on his arms and army crawled to Jumin’s side of the bed which had a better view of the living room. He could see, oh Hyun! That’s right, he was a security guard for Jumin. Zack wondered why he hadn’t seen him in so long. And there next to him was Sarah. Ah… Hyun was giving her such a fond look. So it was as Zack figured, she broke up with the man she loved (probably) for money and fame. You can do a lot of things for marriage, just as Jumin had said before, and Zack figured he was getting married out of fear and Sarah was getting married for an easy life.

“What!?” Glam Choi screeched. 

He jumped and moved back to his side on the bed. Well, it wasn’t really ‘his’ side, it was just where he was laying right now. 

“I said that I’m with my partner right now.” Jumin’s voice gets a little louder. 

“Partner!? What does _that_ mean?!” Glam stomped her heels. 

“I mean my lover.” 

Zack’s heart dropped. _What?_

“You’re kidding!” Sarah stormed into the room. Her eyes widened and she choked out a scream. “A-A-A man!?” 

“Jumin Han!” Glam stormed in. “What is the meaning of this?!” 

“It is as I say. Zachary,” he looks over with his usual blank face, “shall we have chocolate tonight for dessert. Chocolate liquor?” 

The c _ode! Dammit! I didn’t mean using my like that!_ “Y-yes.” He felt his heart quicken, he needed to play it cool. 

“Good, now, as you can see I’m tending to my partner right now. If you two could leave?” 

“I don’t believe it!” Sarah grabbed Jumin’s arm. “You’re not gay!” 

“Regardless of what I am, all I know is that I like who I like.” He shrugged. 

_That’s the most nonchalant I’ve ever seen him._

“This is ridiculous. Jumin Han!” Glam pulled out her phone frantically. “I’m calling your father, you’re going to stop this nonsense!” 

“What part of this is nonsense?” 

“All of this! This… This boy-!” 

“I’m twenty-three.” Zack mumbled. 

“-is just some toy isn’t he!?” 

“Hey.” Zack sat up straighter. “I’m no ones _toy_.” 

Jumin sighed. “I really don’t appreciate your tone Glam Choi. The both of you are hurting my ears, get out.” 

“Jumin… Jumin this _brat_ ,” Sarah walked over to Zack and pointed at him accusingly, “is just playing you! Don’t let men like this taint your mind!” 

“Hey, I’m not some random fuck buddy.” He wasn’t too keen on being insulted like this. “I’m his fr- lo…lo-lover.” _Ugh it feels so unnatural to say._

“This _thing_ ,” Glam glared at Zack, “is going to ruin you.” 

“No. You _leeches_ are ruining my day off. Get. Out.” He looked over at his guards. “Security.” 

Hyun stepped forward. “Please, I’m going to have to escort you out of the building.” 

“Jumin!” Glam glared at him. “Your father is going to hear about this!” 

“I wouldn’t doubt it.” He smiled cooly. 

“Ladies, please.” Hyun pressed his lips into a thin line. 

Sarah whipped her head back to Zack and glared. She grabbed the water glass on the bedside table and threw the water in his face. “Gold digging bastard!” 

“SARAH!” Glam shouted.  
“GET OUT!” Jumin’s yelling made Zack jump. 

“Ladies. Now!” Hyun grabbed Sarah by the arm and dragged her out. After a bit of yelling with some very colorful swears the door slammed shut and the room fell still. 

Zack chuckled in disbelief as he wiped his face. “Crazy.” He muttered. 

Jumin quickly handed him a towel from the bathroom. “That woman…” He growled. “Calling you- tsk!” 

“Calm down. She’s just upset. Being called a bastard doesn’t really bother me.” 

“Don’t dismiss her behavior!” 

“I’m not.” He patted the towel on his shirt. “Ugh, what was in that water? Why’s it smell sweet?” 

“There was a vitamin mix in it.” 

Zack sighed and cleaned himself up. “Well anyways…” He balled up the towel and tossed it harshly at Jumin. “Lover!? Why’d you say lover!?” 

“I wasn’t exactly lying.” 

Zack shook his head. “Why’d you go and say that to them? When I said I’d be a distraction or whatever I didn’t mean this! I meant you could use me like ‘oh I have to take this phone call’ or ‘oh my friend needs me’! Not this. What’s your dad going to say!?” 

“I’m sure he’ll understand. And either way, he’d have to deal with it sooner or later. I don’t want to push you but I also want you to know that I’m not going to let you go.” 

“Ah…” He blushed. “Look. Uhm, you said before that I’m just a crush or whatever, don’t you think that… it’s just that? A little crush?” 

“No.” 

“Whatever, you don’t know.” He grumbled. “You might find someone better later. I don’t mind being a first crush but…” 

Jumin looked at him in the eye. “You are not my first quote on quote crush. I am a person, I know what attraction feels like.” 

“Ah. Oh but-“ 

“But I don’t just jump into things. The people I had _crushed_ on always tend to disappoint me or stress me out. But, surprisingly, you are nice to be with.” 

“Wait. Was that an insult?” Zack chuckled. “I… I just don’t want this to be because you see me as some injured thing and you feel bad for it.” 

“I already said that I will move at your pace.” 

“But you don’t right?” Zack glanced away. “You don’t think I’m just some toy?” 

“Are you kidding me?” Jumin’s voice dropped. “Do you _really_ think I’d look at you as something to throw away? You must not think very highly of me.” 

“I do! I… I think I do.” 

“You think?” Jumin folded the towel. 

“I mean…” He nodded to himself and looked up intensely. “Jumin, let’s go on a date like thing.” 

Jumin chuckled. “A date like thing?” 

“Yeah. I mean… really the only thing I’ve done around you is bitch and moan about things. Sure we played games but… but we don’t know _that_ much about each other.” He sighed. “One date could be fun.” 

“You’re resting.” 

“We can do a home date. Or just do something later. I’m fine with anything I just want to get to know you. Especially since you’re dragging me into this little charade with you. It’d be more believable if I actually know things about you. Other than you’re rich and your obsession with cats.” 

“Charade?” He mumbled. “Alright. We’ll have a date.” 

** ~*  **

He didn’t mean right now, but then again why not now? They were both here and had the time and it wasn’t like Zack had anything else to do. But now that the conversations being driven by the sole purpose of seeing if they’re compatible with each other, he was starting to get nervous.Zack sat on the bed with a tray on his lap donned with pecan cinnamon waffles and bacon. 

“So…uhm…” Zack poked at his food with his fork. “So… what’s your favorite… show?” 

“I don’t watch a lot of T.V.” 

“Me neither. I like listening to podcasts or gaming videos while I work. Uhm…” He stabbed his food with his fork. "Argh I’m blanking on topics right now.” 

Jumin nodded and smoothly took control of the conversation. “Have you informed your parents of your current situation?” 

Zack scoffed. “Hell no. They still think I’m staying at that vacation home.” 

“Won’t they be worried?” 

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them. God, if they found out about _any_ of this I’m so dead.” 

“They’ll get upset?” Jumin sipped his coffee, he wasn’t eating. 

“Upset won’t even begin to describe how’d they get. If they hear about any this they’ll be on the first plane to Korea and then drag me home by the ear. I would never hear the end of it.” 

“They must really love you.” 

Zack smiled fondly. “They do but…” He rolled his eyes. “Argh! It’s easier to live my life with a bit of a wall between us. I mean…” He scrunched his nose and sighed. “I love them, I do, but they can really get on my case about things and it’s just… I dunno. Maybe I’m a spoiled brat.” 

“It’s natural to want to fly from the nest.” 

“Heh, I guess.” He smiled. “What about you? Could you see yourself living with your pops?” 

“No. Never. While I do care for my father and I value his opinion and knowledge… no. I don’t.” 

“Did you have a fun childhood?” He was finding it easier to eat now. 

“I suppose I had a normal childhood. I spent a lot of my time studying the business markets and formal etiquette. I also went to boarding schools and began early linguistics.” 

Zack smiled. “That sounds about right.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Sounds like the typical rich kid story. I mean, I don’t doubt you but I just read a story with some rich kid and his lover who was trying to get in his good graces. The story, okay it was a comic, but the story was good. Reading about how they _fell in love_ —I say it like that because it wasn’t so loving—was interesting.” He soaked up his waffle in syrup. “What was my point? Oh yeah. Just… it’s so funny. You read about the lonely rich kid and I dunno.” He smiled. “The story of the lonely rich kid finding their happiness has always been a favorite of mine.” 

“Your favorite story…” Jumin stared into his coffee. 

Zack shrugged. “Sorry, I rudely interrupted. You were saying?” He sipped his milk. The only way to eat waffles/pancakes/cookies/or anything sweet is with milk, it’s the law, that’s what Zack told Jumin when he gave him coffee. 

Jumin shook his head. “There was nothing more to say. I think to others my childhood seems very bland or boring, but to me it was fulfilling. It helped me become the man I am today.” 

“I think that can be said for anyone.” He chuckled. 

“So, does that mean your childhood-“ 

“It was simultaneously fun and it sort of fucked me up.” He laughed. “But I’m not complaining.” He shrugged. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I was, no I still am, a very boring asshole of a person. I…” He cringed at his memories. “I was very sure that I was always right about everything. I… tsk I really, haah, there are some days when I evaluate myself I think I’m a pretty decent guy and then I think of how I acted from the past, shit even just this morning, and I just mentally remind myself that I really suck.” 

“Why? Why bring yourself down so much?” 

“I dunno.” He bit into the bacon. “I just… I dunno. Sometimes I wish for something good to happen to me, like I wish that something happy will happen but then I just get hit by these memories and the way I am and I know that those wishes are just best left as wishes.” 

“That’s-“ 

“Don’t tell me that it’s not true.” He chuckled as he dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “I know to others it sounds very pathetic and self-degrading but… like, I’m lucky to have found someone who remotely liked me once. And maybe you do to…” He looked at him hesitantly. He didn’t want to see the answer to that on Jumin’s face. “But I was thinking about this last night, after…erm,” he felt his face getting hot, “uh well you know, anyways I was thinking that I should just enjoy what I was given, I mean basically one of my biggest wishes was granted. I’m like Cinderella,” he laughed, “the clock struck midnight two months ago. I should accept that my wish-“ 

“Zachary.” Jumin shook his head. “Why must you always speak about yourself like this? You act as if you deserve these bad things. Being a snot-nosed child doesn’t mean your life sentence is to never be happy. Being a little conceited or self-righteous doesn’t mean your life should just be hell. You were a child. You were egotistical, that’s how all children are.” 

“Yeah but-“ 

“You learn from your childhood and your experiences and you shape yourself to be a better person. We may slip into childish acts as adults every now and then but you fix your footing and continue to grow. You didn’t harm animals or assault people. You were just a child who thought that his opinions were always right. Just because you were a normal child doesn’t mean you can’t find love. That’s idiotic.” 

Zack chuckled. He felt a little awkward. “Do I need anymore salt for these harshbrowns?” Jumin didn’t even crack a smile. “A-ahm well… I mean… I guess so.” 

“You can’t keep doing this to yourself. You can’t keep building these barbed walls around yourself to wrongly justify why these things keep happening to you.” 

He winced to himself; this was getting too real for him right now. His stomach was starting to hurt. 

“You’re allowed to wish for things. You are. Just because you get cocky or maybe you snap doesn’t mean you’re never allowed love or joy or friendships again. This isn’t the world punishing you. It is just… unfortunate events. This is why you question my attraction towards you. You think it’s the world playing you.” 

“Well… I…” Jumin was right. He had been debating with himself when Jumin was cooking breakfast if he should allow himself to enjoy a bit of love before it was ripped away from him. Jumin stood up and placed his coffee mug down. “Jumin, argh, you’re making things so annoying.” He pinched his brow. “Getting all philosophical with me. I feel ill thinking about this stuff.” 

“Changing your view points on yourself is rather difficult.” He sat down next to him on the bed. “Do you believe me when I say that I like you?” 

He couldn’t look at him. 

“Zachary?” 

He shook his head. “Why do we have to talk about this? I thought it was going to be an insightful fun time, not a therapy session.” 

“Being able to talk is good. You said so yourself that your relationship failed because you refused to talk.” 

“Ngh.” 

“And now I see why. You’re scared of talking about yourself.” 

The smell of the breakfast was starting to make him feel nauseous. He wanted to go hide in the bathroom. “C-Can we not talk about this right now?” 

“If not now then when?” 

“J-just not now.”

“Then when?” The CEO leaned in, trying to catch his gaze. 

Zack felt uncomfortable. “Just not now!” 

“So you’ll keep running?” 

“No! I…” 

“I’m telling you that you shouldn’t beat yourself up. Yet you still want to? Why do this to yourself?” 

“T-There’s no reason! I just… don’t deserve-“ 

“Why not!?” 

Zack turned to Jumin and glared. “I don’t know.” He said it genuinely. “I don’t know why I do this to myself. I… I don’t get it either. I just do and it hurts like hell but I keep doing it to myself! I hate it.” He pushed the tray off his lap and tried to get up. No dice, Jumin and his own body stopped him. “I hate this!” 

“You hate it because you can’t run. Every time you run you go and do something stupid. Whether you reciprocate my feelings doesn’t matter to me right now. What matters to me is that you just stop doing and saying these idiotic things.” He took Zack’s hand and closed his eyes. “I know that in actuality we’ve only known each other for nearly two weeks now so my feelings seem like lies, but my concern for you is real. I don’t need to have known you for months or years to care about you.” 

“I…” 

“You’ve only known about us for eleven days yet you work so hard to help us. Why do you do it?” 

“B-because I…want…to.” 

“Then can’t I care about you because I want to?” 

He nodded slowly. 

“And can I have feelings for you?” 

“Y-yes.” He felt a little warm at that. Was it wrong? Was this too fast? He just couldn’t figure it out. 

Jumin smiled. He pulled back and took the tray. “I hope you didn’t feel trapped.” 

“No… no you were right. I really needed to hear that I think.” He rolled the bed sheets between his fingers. “I…” He pulled Jumin down by the collar and gave a chaste kiss on his lips. “S-sorry! I dunno!” He said quickly in embarrassment. He wasn’t sure if you could do this. Do people hate this or find this weird? If someone saw him would they be disappointed in him or think lowly of him? 

“It’s okay. You just surprised me.” 

“Sor-“ 

“Does that mean I can do the same?” 

“Ye…yeah.” He felt really hot now. He really shouldn’t have had breakfast. This morning was proving to be a wild emotional rollercoaster. _People will hate me for this. They’ll call me things. I don’t deserve this. I think I’m crazy. I_ — he closed his eyes when he felt Jumin kiss him gently on the lips. He couldn’t think and that was blissful. Maybe to some this seemed weird or wrong, but right now he didn’t care what others thought. He felt free. 

“You taste like syrup.” 

“Don’t announce it.” He flushed red. “…You taste like coffee.” He glanced away. “Y-your lips anyways.” 

“Yes. I know.” Jumin chuckled. “I’m going to take each cat out and then do the dishes.” 

“Yeah.” He rubbed his thumbs together. “I’ll be here.” 

“Yes… yes you will.” Jumin nodded firmly and left the room. 

Zack touched his lips and smiled. It had been so long since he felt that tingling feeling of electricity on his lips. “Heh… dammit.” 

**~* 11 am *~**

Zack ran his fingers through Butty’s fur as he watched Jumin pace around the room talking to his father. He couldn’t quite get a hold on how the conversation was going but it was most certainly wasn’t going smoothly. It was honestly stressing him out and it wasn’t even his own family. He tried to keep his gaze on the TV as he attempted to care on whatever K-drama was playing but all he could hear was Jumin’s voice. Butty swatted his hand away and jumped off his lap. 

He slowly ran his fingers over his lips and smiled. He felt stupid for acting like this but he couldn’t stop. He smirked and returned his attention back to the show. He had no idea what was going on in his life right now. 

“We will talk about this later.” Jumin closed his phone. He put Butty back in his cage and let out Elizabeth. He must be really stressed, normally Jumin hesitates on letting Fuzz Butt out. “All of this is such bad timing.” 

“What’d he say?” Zack over the arm rest of the couch. 

“To stop my nonsense.” 

“Oh.” Zack lightly touched his own lips again. 

“I told him this wasn’t a stunt.” He went over to the kitchen to get some wine. 

_Well… it’s five o’clock somewhere._ “Is he going to get mad?” 

Jumin poured himself a rather generous glass. “He will have to deal with it. This shouldn’t even matter.” 

“It matters to some.” 

“It shouldn’t.” He downed that glass and poured another. 

“I know.” Zack gave him a sympathetic smile. 

“Tch. It’s not a personality that’s even worth judging.” 

“No. It’s not.” He turned off the TV. “It’s just… I dunno. It’s just a thing. What about Glam and Sarah, did they say anything?” 

“Yes. They said a psychotic foreigner was tricking me to get my money.” He laughed and downed that glass. 

Zack laughed with him.“Yeesh. But I really did make a horrible first impression.” 

“Enough. You will apologize properly later, right now you’re supposed to be focusing on getting better.” 

Zack nodded. He still felt sick from this morning’s breakfast. He wondered if that blue stuff was still in his body and just thinking about it made him want to throw up. “Yeah, but you should stop downing that stuff. I don’t want to be in the same room with your ‘hangover cure’ again. Come here.” He patted the seat next to him. “Hey, why _did_ you drink the last time? I mean, we were all having fun, why’d you go and get drunk?” 

“I was just annoyed.” He picked up the bottle. 

“At me? Or at Seven?” 

“At myself.” The wine bottle clinked against the coffee table as he got comfortable. “I don’t like seeing you laugh with Seven.” 

“That’s ridiculous.” Zack narrowed his eyes. 

“That’s why I was annoyed with myself.” 

He patted the cat-lovers knee. “Aye Jumin, don’t be so jealous or whatever.” He shook his head. “If you’re going to force me to talk about my feelings then you have to do the same.” He grinned. “Isn’t that fair?” 

“Yes. I suppose so.” He sipped his wine, finally the man was savoring it. He let out a deep sigh through his nose. “I can’t stand those women.” 

“Sarah’s just… I’m sure she would be nice if she wasn’t so desperate.” He quickly looked around to make sure Hyun wasn’t lurking anywhere. It was just them two. Good. “It is rather weird to watch though. I’ve never seen someone so openly try to mooch off of someone before.” He chuckled. 

“It’s awful when you’re the one being targeted. It’s like having yapping birds squawking at me all day.” 

Zack leaned over and grinned. “Heh that’s not very nice.” He scooted a little closer to him. Just a bit. “I think they’ll have to realize that, in the end, they won’t be able to force you. They can bother you all they want but it’s not like you’ll be like ‘ugh if I say yes will you shut up?’ They can’t break the good ol Jumin that way.” 

“That’s why I have been keeping a careful eye on Elizabeth. Once they realize pestering me won’t work they might try to take her.” 

“Come on. If you have video evidence they’d be screwed.” He slightly scooted a little closer. He felt like… cuddling. _Ah, what am I thinking. That’s… ugh this is all so hard!_ “And even if they got someone else to do it they’d still be screwed. Surely they won’t get someone so loyal that they would never talk when caught. This isn’t a freakin’ military thing. It’s just a dumb cash grab.” 

“Hmph, people do drastic things for money you know.” He sighed. “What is my father thinking? Does he really not care that these women only like him for his status?” 

“Maybe… uhm well don’t get mad, but maybe he doesn’t care cuz he’s so successful? It’s like when you have such a surplus of something that when a little bit of it gets lost you don’t even notice.” 

Jumin sighed. He eyed Zack as if he wanted to refute him. Well he _was_ somewhat insulting his father. “Perhaps…that is true. I didn’t notice when I lost my chocolate bouquet from Sweden.” 

“What.” Zack sat up straighter. “A…chocolate…bouquet. What? What is that?”

“Zachary, let’s keep focus shall we?” 

He nervously chuckled. “Right. Hehehe…” _Note to self: look up chocolate bouquet later._ He leaned into him stiffly. _This was okay right? Ugh I’m so nervous my shoulders are hurting. But I wanna test this out._ His nerves disappeared when Jumin put an arm around him. It felt like it had been so long since he sat with anybody like this. It was pretty nice. “If that’s the case maybe your dad won’t really get it but I think you should tell him this: okay look, I don’t want to marry Sarah. I don’t care what you think it’ll do, I don’t want to marry her.” He poked Elly’s face. “Or something to that effect. You’ll word it better. But, like, maybe just have him ignore the whole lover is guy thing for now, you guys can cross that bridge when you get there.” He sighed. “I know it’s not going to be easy though.” 

“No. It won’t.” He sipped his wine slowly. 

“Sorry.” He hesitantly shifted to get more comfortable. “I really don’t have any advice.” He closed his eyes. “I didn’t really have this problem back then. My parents kinda just nodded and the next day I was being lectured in a major sex ed course. But I also don’t have the same social status as you. I’m just some kid from a farm town, you’re running a huge corporation.” Jumin absentmindedly petted his hair. _This was rather nice but what is the right thing to do here? Do you just go with your gut or do you have to go through a check- ah fuck it. Who even gives a rat’s ass anymore?_ Zack grumbled something under his breath and decided he’d just role with it. If he didn’t like something he wouldn’t do it. The end. 

“I will first need to get those women off my back.” 

Zack opened his eyes and felt an idea brewing in his dumb brain. “What…if… Hey, do you have a security guard named Hyun?” 

“I do. Why?” 

“Erm… is he here now?” 

“He’s out escorting Yoosung here for the meeting.” 

“Escorting?” He looked at him worried. “Why?” 

Jumin shifted and downed the wine. “That hacker… isn’t only targeting you. We… all got specific emails showing his knowledge that he knows where we live and that you…you uncovering the secrets…had wrought this.” 

Zack pulled back and clenched his fists. “What!? And you’re telling me this _now_?!” 

“I wanted you to rest.” 

“So what you’re saying is, **_I_ ** put everyone in danger!?” He dug his hands into his hair. “Oh my god.” He shook his head. “I… what is going on!?” 

“Zack please calm-“ 

“NO!” Elizabeth got up and ran back to her cage. “What the hell is going on!? What is this organization!? I thought you were a _charity_!” 

“We…are.” Jumin glanced away. 

“Then what the hell!?” He got up only to collapse back down. His whole body hurt, his heart was pounding, his hands were trembling. He felt sick. His body felt like lead. “What is going on!?” 

“We don’t know.” 

“Tell me right now Jumin Han! What did you guys do?! No more secrets! None!” 

“We don’t know! We aimed to help others! We didn’t anger anyone. We went through all the guests files when you were asleep last night trying to see if there was anyone suspicious. But there wasn’t.” 

“The only real suspicious people in your group is V and Rika!” 

“Neither would-“ 

“Embezzlement Jumin! Em-bezz-le-ment!” He was starting to feel hysterical. “Where is the money?” 

“I… I’ve been trying to look into it myself.” He moved to pour more wine but Zack stopped him. “The money is gone.” He sighed. 

“Because Rika took it.” 

“She-“ 

“Don’t deny that it’s weird. Maybe she took the money and then tragedy struck. Or maybe she faked her own death.” 

“ ** _Zachary_**.” Jumin glared sharper then he did when Sarah threw water in Zack’s face. “Do NOT joke about-“ 

“Did you see a body?” 

He almost looked taken aback. “N………No. But she-“ 

“Any evidence at all?” 

Jumin’s jaw clenched. “Zachary, I will not have this conversation with you.” 

“It’s like with me!” He was starting to get heated. If he wanted Jumin to listen he needed to keep himself level headed and calm. “Think back to what you’ve been saying to me all this time. Despite how many times I screw myself over, I do listen. You don’t want to talk about it because you know something isn’t right. Just like me and my own problems.”

Jumin looked as if he was about to pop off. It honestly was extremely terrifying. He kept his steely gaze and his perfect poise, but his eyes looked ready to strangle something, or someone. Zack knew Jumin wouldn’t do anything, call it a gut feeling, but it was clear that the man was sincerely furious. Zack took a deep breath, he was going to connect all the pieces that he himself had been trying to figure out.

“Listen to my theory: V is a pretty famous photographer and he’s your childhood friend. He is from wealth and he’s cozy with wealth. His work is clearly admired and he was starting to make a name for himself. He has money and he’s earring money. Good money. Rika sees that, u-uh,” he faltered when he saw Jumin was connecting the dots to his theory as well; it was clear he didn’t like this idea, “Vuh-V has money and she sees an opportunity. Maybe she sees a way that she can make more money, by building a fake organization. She knows she’s good at getting people to fall for her lies and she knows she’s charismatic enough to get people to listen to her. She has a great opportunity to make a ton of cash. Maybe she wanted to make more but someone was catching on, so she took the money that she had embezzled, faked her death, and said buh-bye, leaving V to search for her in secret. Maybe he knew that you all really admired her and he decided to not say a word about it. If you all knew she was a gold digger you all would probably be really shocked.” 

“Let’s pretend,” Jumin crossed his arms, "that your theory is at all possible. Rika was kind to me, she listened to me, she gave me Elizabeth 3rd, she even chose her name. Why would a woman, who was so kind to me and there for me, do such a thing?” 

“She’s still a human. Maybe she did care or maybe she was playing you. There’s no way of knowing. And besides you said so yourself, people do crazy things for money. If you think those women would go so far to steal or hurt Elizabeth as ransom or blackmail just to get your money, then surely you can accept the theory that Rika did all that to get V’s money.” 

“No.” Jumin took a sharp breath. "Your claims just don’t add up. You didn’t know Rika like I did.” 

“And you don’t know Sarah like I do.” 

Jumin visibly reeled. “What?” 

Zack arched his brow and shook his head at the ridiculous scenario. “I met Sarah before all of this. She’s just a simple, insecure, arrogant, girl who wants an easy life. Yeah, what she’s doing is just plain stupid and rude and cold-hearted, but she’s a human. She can still feel even when it seems like she can’t, and she can still care even when she desperately tries to grab your wallet. I… people are complex, illogical, selfish, egotistical, arrogant, lying, beings. But somewhere in all of our horrible qualities we still love and we still show compassion. So maybe when Rika gave you El she truly meant it. Maybe when she listened to you she meant it. Maybe she was kind but she still could have been a gold digger.” 

“Then… all people are just trying to use me. All people are just using others for their own benefit.” He looked deeply hurt. “Is that what you believe? Is that what you’re implying?” 

Zack looked away. “Maybe… maybe we do. Maybe I use you because… because I want to feel happy. I use you to feel happy. We… I dunno! I don’t get this stupid world either!” He clenched his fist. “I hate it! I hate it all! I want purpose and I don’t have one! What’s the point? I don’t know what the point is, I just want to… I dunno. I use you because you make me feel happy and safe and I can fucking relax when I just talk with you. And, in turn, I want you to use me so you can feel the same.” He hugged himself. He just didn’t get it. This world is so stupid and he was tired of trying to figure it out. “I guess technically we use everyone. We go to work because we’re using our bosses to get paid and in turn our bosses are using us to do work. I…I don’t know. Using someone is normally connected to a negative view, but in this sense it can be anything. Using someone for our benefit can be mutual or parasitic.” 

Jumin closed his eyes, his brows furrowed in deep thought. Zack didn’t blame him, his own mind was flexing to try and figure this all out. Talking about the world and humanity was honestly a pain in the ass. He’d rather laugh at stupid cartoon shows then do this. The room was completely silent, not even the cats stirred as they stood there. All of this talk felt like he was drowning. 

He didn’t want Jumin to think he was just hanging around for impure reasons. He really did like being with him. “I…” His voice was so small that he wondered if Jumin could even hear him. “…I.” He kneaded his hands together. “I just… I just don’t get it. I don’t. But… I do know that y-you,” his voice shook, were these words okay? “you make me happy. You… you set me in place and you make me realize that I have the strength to work towards my happiness. Your strength and your practicality helps me so much. I-I don’t want to ruin that. I don’t! Bu-but you said that everyone was getting hurt and I… I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But you’re lives are in danger because of me and I-“ 

Jumin stood up and walked to his bedroom and closed the door. 

Zack gripped his chest and started to gasp. Why must everything be so difficult? 

**~* 3 pm *~**

Zack stared out the window as he sipped his tepid glass of water. Talking philosophies really wore a guy out. And making the person you had a crush on hate you wasn’t that fun either. It was made even worse when you were stuck at their house and couldn’t leave.According to the texts he was reading, everyone was coming over in about an hour. He rubbed his temples, this was waaaaaaaayyyyy too stressful. 

“Heya Zack.” He talked to himself as he stared at some random painting of a field that probably cost more than his kidneys. “You done fucked up again.”   
“Yeah…” He rolled a napkin tightly in his hands. “I just thought that… ugh…”  
“This really sucks.”  
“I need a vacation from this vacation.” He chuckled to himself as he glanced at the door to Jumin’s room. At some point when Zack went to the bathroom, Jumin had taken Eli to his room and locked himself in. “Wonder if he hates me.” He looked back at the painting. He was able to imagine a clone of himself sitting across from him.  
“Well I surely wouldn’t want to talk to the person who accused my best friend of being a dirty gold digger who faked their death.”  
“You can’t deny that it’s plausible though.”  
“You also can’t deny that you weren’t there. They probably held a funeral. They _mourned._ If someone told you tia faked her death…”  
Zack winced at his own words. “Ngh…” That was true. He didn’t even think about that. He tapped his fingers on the table and drank more water. Hesitantly he stood up and used the furniture to help him get to the door. He took a deep breath and lightly tapped his knuckles against the door. “Ju-Jumin?”

No answer. 

“I am so sorry.” He pressed his forehead against the cool door. “I shouldn’t had said anything. I… I was… I just don’t want you all to get hurt. I…” He turned around and slid down the door carefully. He let out a relieved grunt as he elevated his sprained ankle. “One time, I was still a newbie, I followed a case of a gold digger. It felt like a movie. This guy, his name was Darren, had two families. One was with this sweet woman named Jane with her daughter from another marriage. She was born into money and ran her own little company. The other, Riley, was this strong willed woman with their two sons, she was a doctor. They were both really well off. One day Jane came to our office looking miserable. She was filing for divorce as well as using our services to sue him for child support. We were doing pretty good, turns out Darren made fake accounts on facebook and all that and targeted single moms and drained them of funds. It was a real long con, and those two women were his longest con. I mean, he had kids with one of them.” 

He shook his head. “Each wife gave us statements on who he was and he was genuinely pretty cool. The kids, when we talked to them, loved him. They said he was the best dad, he was always there for them. But… he still tricked them. He took some money and pawned some pretty expensive jewelry and ran off. Boom. He was gone for two years. A cop buddy of mine gets this call from some firm in France. They found him swindling some other woman whom he just get impregnated. She was an upcoming artists, was really wowing the European markets or something. 

“What I’m saying is… that… these things aren’t always uncommon. He wooed those women and they trusted him enough to start a family with him. And the kids loved him, he was supportive and helped them grow but in the end he betrayed them. He gave his wives jewelry and celebrated their anniversaries together. He was like, the ideal guy, right? Loving, caring, funny, et cetera et cetera. I… I didn’t consider your feelings when I started talking. It was like another case to me and I was insensitive. Rika was your friend and you cared for her. She was your best friends fiancé and you wanted to see them happy. I… can imagine how devastating her passing had been. I understand fully. But… but…” His head thudded against the door. “But things aren’t normal. At all. 

“Your friends are being targeted. Some random guy has a weird drug that he’s willing to stab into anyone. Rika’s apartment was secret to all of you, her files showed false documentation. I just…” He pounded his fists onto his thighs. “I’m sorry.” 

There was a long silence. Ten minutes passed when the door finally opened. Zack looked back and carefully got up. 

“I understand.” Jumin nodded. “I’m sorry I ran off so childishly. I… needed time to process everything.” 

Zack wasn’t sure if he should smile or nod back, so instead he did a weird mixture of both. “Yeah.” 

He sighed. “Let’s… talk.” 

“Yeah.” 

“I want to know everything you’ve done up until now. I want to hear your evidence and I want to know what danger you’ve put yourself through.” 

Zack took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you everything.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof is this one a little frustrating? Heh welcome to my stupid brain. I was at first thinking I shouldn't post this one because it's a little like this ~~~ wavey? But I was going through some things and instead of laying in bed and feeling all sorry for myself I decided "duh doy just write out the feelings" and I used Zack cuz that's what he's for. 
> 
> Anywho I know this one was a it heavy (maybe, depends on the reader) but I like it when they talk things out. Any kind of relationship requires communication. They're getting a little better at it. I feel bad for giving Zack so many things to worry about lolol. Whoops. But I actually do have some fun reasons for it. 
> 
> In case anyone was wondering, yes this is going to go beyond the regular RFA days. I mean, we still got a lot to uncover and unfold and mend. 
> 
> Also, I know we know how crazy Rika is, but does anyone like the "she was after the money" idea. Lolol I felt like a smarty-pants for coming up with that. (I'm sure others have I just haven't seen it) I was like "Bwah! It makes sense to think that in Jumin's Route!" 
> 
> Anyways I hope you all still enjoy this story. I'm getting worried that I throw too many things on the table and just point at it and be like "lol look at all this shit I've got." Haha;;;;


	19. Day 11: Part 2 The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time on Male MC's Mystic Messenger: After surviving an attack from an unknown person, Zack Rein is returned to Jumin's pent house and decides to confess everything he has gathered about the dark side of the RFA, V, and Rika. It is agreed that the other members of the group should be brought to light and face the reality of their not-so-charitable foundation. Is it just an embezzlement of funds or is there something more sinister beneath the depths? Is the group safe or is Death knocking on the door?

It was silent. Dead silent between the two. He told him everything, from the day he learned of Lloyd’s cheating to now. Jumin watched silently until Zack started to spill all of his near-death adventures, the look on the CEO’s face could freeze the world. But, surprisingly, it didn’t scare Zack. In fact talking like this felt therapeutic and all the nerves that had migrated to his neck loosen. He took his time in giving details, an odd smile painted on his lips as he spoke. When he finished he just laughed. 

Jumin didn’t seem to find it so funny but he let Zack laugh, even if he looked a bit pissed. Zack caught his breath and sighed. He shook his head. “Man, saying it out loudsounds so stupid.” 

“You… dammit Zack.” 

“I know.” He sighed. “I know.” 

“Why did you go and do stupid things like that?!” 

“Well, what’s done is done.” He shrugged. 

“Zachary!” 

“Well! I didn’t care what happened to me.” 

“Zachary…” 

“I just wanted something to put my mind to and a mystery adventure I guess you could call it— heh, it was something like that— I mean, it was what I I always dreamed of as a boy and so I just dived in. And if I died in the process?” 

“Enough.” Jumin shook his head. “Enough Zachary. This little _game_ of yours—or adventure if you must call it— is over. It ends now. Do you understand me?” 

“I understand.” 

“ _If I died_ …” Jumin muttered under his breath. “Idiot.” 

Zack chuckled and slowly stood. “That was a lot of talking. They’ll be here soon.” 

“I need to collect myself.” He opened his phone. “Yes. Please bring the chef, and bring the maids to get this place straightened up. Escort the guests up in ten minutes. I also need refreshments served.” He eyed Zack. “I’m sorry this is such short notice. Yes… thank you.” He hung up. “Come here.” He led him back to the master bedroom. “Ten minutes is enough time I hope.” 

“Wh-uh- yeah. Th-thanks.” 

“Anything. _Anything_ for you.” 

Zack felt his skin prickle. Something about the way Jumin said that seemed off. 

~*~ 

“Ugh, the cat hair is unbearable!” ZEN sneezed for the umpteenth time, it was honestly getting obnoxious. “ACHOO!” 

“That’s why I gave you allergy medicine.” Jumin downed his wine. 

“Mr. Han, where is Zack?” 

“Getting ready.” 

“This is all so crazy…” Yoosung mumbled to himself as he stared out the window. 

“I’m working on it.” Seven had kept repeating. 

“We’ll start when Zack gets out.” Jumin poured himself another glass. 

The room fell silent. No one knew what to say in this situation. Saying anything at all felt forced. They just needed answers and they needed to know that everything would be okay. 

The knob to the bedroom clicked and the room fell still. Zack stepped out and looked around. “Wh-what?” He looked behind him. “What’s wrong?” 

“You’re alive!” Yoosung ran up to him. “Thank god…” 

“You didn’t know that I was okay?” 

“Okay!? I mean you’re just… Ugh!” Yoosung hugged him tightly. “I was terrified. That video,” he sniffed back tears ,“was so awful!” 

ZEN stepped up to him. “It’s great to see you Zack.” 

“Likewise.” Zack shook his hand as he patted Yoosung on the back. “Let’s just forget about that video. Okay?” 

“Okay… Okay I’ll try.” Yoosung let go with asmile. 

Zack took a breath and looked at everyone in the eye, he refused to hesitate now. “Let me properly introduce myself, and let me show you who I am. My name is Zachary Dominic Noel Rein and the man you saw in that video is not the man I want you to think of when you think of me. That man is stupid and didn’t care about his own life.” He put his hand to his heart. “But, I don’t regret what I did. I know that I have been hateful towards your establishment and I know I have been harsh and bitter and cold hearted. I admit that I didn’t care about what happened to the RFA. I took my anger out on all of you and myself.” He looked down at his own arms and sighed. “But as I dug into this mystery more I wanted to know everything. No… not even that. I just wanted to forget. To push my mind into something. I convinced myself that I was trying to help you all but that was a lie.” He took a breath and nodded firmly. “I don’t know if I’m doing this for the right reason and I’m probably not. I’ll be honest, a part of me wants to just go home and let all my problems here be divided by the ocean. But I won’t. I… put all of you in danger. My anger caused you all of this fear.” He closed his eyes in pain. “I will do everything to stop this. And I won’t leave until you **all** are safe.” 

Jaehee stood forward, her confidence and authority did not go unnoticed. “It is us who should be apologizing; we have all agreed, we cannot deny the abnormalities that is happening within our group. The secrets in our group is what dragged you into this hell.” 

Zack sighed. “I wasn’t dragged, I pulled myself into this mess. I thank you for your consideration.” He took a breath and started to cough. “Excuse me.” He hobbled to the counter and grabbed a glass of water. “I wish,” the glass clinked against the table, “that things were most definitely different. This past week—two months— has and still is hell. But in all of this chaos I have learned quite a lot of myself and I feel very blessed to have met you all.” 

“We’re happy to have met you too Zack.” ZEN smiled. 

“You don’t have to apologize.” Yoosung looked down, he looked as if his whole world was breaking apart. “We… just have to clear all this up…” 

“I have asked each of you to bring anything and everything that regarded the RFA. Anything at all. Now, let us sit here and go over our documents.” He ushered everyone to the dining table. Before Zack could pick his seat, Jumin grabbed him by the arm and placed Zack next to him. “N-Now,” Zack glanced at Jumin slightly confused by his actions, “let us go over what we know.” 

Seven took the lead. “We have evidence of embezzlement.” 

“But!” Yoosung leaned forward. 

Jumin looked over at him. “Yoosung, I ask you to please keep your comments until the end of Seven’s presentation.” 

“But Jumin!” 

He lowered his gaze. “I will not ask you again.” The room felt cold suddenly. “Now, continue Luciel.” 

“Ri…right. As I was saying, we have evidence that funds have been embezzled and we of course have evidence of something more going on,” he glanced at Zack, “that I’ve been looking into. I can’t really be sure but there are strange, erm, blips in our chats. As if someone other than all of us were in it.” The room slightly stirred. “I’m keeping an eye on it. I’ve noticed the blips match the one that was used to send us that video. I think that video really screwed up our hacker, they took a chance in provoking us and it backfired on them.” 

Jaehee straightened up. “If I may?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Were we able to get any evidence on who that man in video was?” 

“No. He was dressed in a way that I couldn’t even see his skin. So, no distinguishable features. And I can’t find any traces of an audio file.” 

“Do you remember their voice Zack?” ZEN held his files tightly. 

“I told Seven before he came here, it was a man with white hair and light greenish maybe a bit of blueish colored eyes. He was pale and wore those funny victorian clothing. The voice… god I’d know it if I heard it but I just can’t describe it other than, normal? I guess? Plus who knows if that guy was the hacker. Could’ve been a lackey of some sort.” 

Jumin nodded. “Anything else?” 

“No, I’m sorry. This hacker is… they are seriously skilled. They take some risks which I think is the blips I’m seeing. In… fact… they come from Zack’s phone the most. I went through it and found blips in his regular messenger.” 

Zack swallowed. “And by regular you mean…” 

“As in the messages you send to your friends and family.” 

Zack slammed his hand down. “What!? Is my family okay?!” 

“Yeah, at least I-I think so. It wasn’t tracking them it was like… sending them messages.” 

Jumin placed a hand on the back of Zack’s neck and began massaging it softly. “Anything pressing?” The CEO said calmly. 

“No. I looked at any evidence of distress from the receiver but nothing. I’m going to watch over it, just let me know if you send a message to any of them. I want to make sure it’s actually you.” 

“Okay.” Zack breathed out slowly. “Okay.” He didn’t want to lose it right now. 

ZEN studied the two. “S…so,” he turned back to Seven, “what about the rest of us?” 

“The only blips we’ve received are from that video. A few pop up but only in the RFA chat.” 

“So, Mr. Rein is the only one who’s family and friends have been monitored?” 

“Yeah. As to why I think that it’s only him, I think you were used as a sort of tool. Your sudden joining, the way you joined, all of this that has happened, I think someone’s plan went horribly awry and they needed a… well a rat to sneak into our group.” 

Zack cleared his throat. “I-If that’s true then… why not get someone who actually knows what their ultimate plan is? Why not get someone who already knows who you all are?” 

“I really don’t know. Maybe because… I just don’t know.” 

“Then… where does V and R-Rika come in?” Yoosung said softly. 

Jumin took over. “That’s what we’re about to find out.” He stood up and made a call. The moment he hung up two of his workers came in and set down a projector and a screen. “Thank you. Please leave this room.” The workers bowed and left the room. Jumin turned off the light and clicked on the projector. “This here is the files Zachary uncovered.” He clicked through all the encrypted documents. 

“What the hell…” ZEN leaned forward and squinted at the screen. 

“This is one he decoded.” Zack’s notes were on the screen. _When did he have time to do this?_ “As you can see it mentions a man named Ray and Sunflower Orphanage.” He looked at everyone, it seemed the names did not spark any remembrance, just confusion. He continued. “This here is the funds that were raised and the names of the donators.” 

“Mr. Han, may I ask what those sunflowers near their names are? As well as the eyes?” 

“I’m not sure.” Zack answered. “I think the sunflowers are most definitely associated with the orphanage. As for the eyes I still haven’t figured that out.” 

Yoosung began flipping through his files. “I…” he was visibly shaking, “I have a file with some names I recognize.” 

“What do you mean?” ZEN looked over and read through the blondes evidence. “Oh hey… yeah you’re right. Some of the names here match the names there.” 

“Hand it over.” Seven reached out and began typing on his computer. “Let me see… yeah… yeah! These names are the same as the ones who donated to Sunflower. Let me see. Look here, the sunflowers near their names might correlate to how much money they donated. See? This one donated a huge amount!” 

Jumin looked over Seven’s shoulder. “Yes… Yes his name does have a full bloom around him. Assistant Kang.”

“Already on it sir.” She had her laptop open and was typing in such a speed Zack was convinced the laptop would catch on fire. “I shall check the rest of the names, I will also look into the names near the eyes.” 

“Very good. Let us continue.” 

Zack couldn’t help but smile and simultaneously feel like a moron. If only he had done this sooner, but at the same time it seemed only this drastic situation could have sparked this comradery. He spoke when needed and kept his cool as best he could. Whenever he felt as if he was about to mouth off Jumin would suddenly be behind him either patting his hair or massaging his neck. It was a little weird in all honesty, but it was working. Even if it was embarrassing when everyone would stare at them. 

“Let us discuss the… the incident.” Jaehee adjusted her glasses. “I… Mr. Rein, would you like to leave the room?” 

Zack cleared his throat. “No. Go ahead.” 

Seven reluctantly played the video, all of the videos they received, and played each one. “I don’t see a difference.” 

“Me neither.” Yoosung said looking away. 

“Wait.” Jaehee walked up to the projector. “Go back ten seconds and slow the video down.” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

“Look there, the serum has something engraved on the vile.” 

Seven leaned forward. “You’re right! Lemme just…” 

“Excellent Assistant Kang.” Jumin smiled. 

“Way to go Jaehee!” ZEN grinned. 

“Thank god, I couldn’t take another moment.” Yoosung lowered his hands away from his face. “Sorry… I couldn’t look.” 

“It’s fine. I couldn’t either.” Zack smiled. Jumin squeezed his shoulder. “U-uhm great work Jaehee.” 

“It’ll take me a while to clean up the image.” Seven said as he typed frantically. 

“Then let’s take a break.” Jumin adjusted his tie and grabbed Zack’s wrist. “Enjoy the snacks and refreshments. Come here.” He pulled Zack into the bedroom and closed the door, without a word he hugged him tightly. 

“Y-you okay?” 

“I should ask you that.” 

“I’m okay.” He hugged him back and sighed. “You’re worried about me eh? I thou-“ Jumin kissed him roughly. He placed his hand behind his neck and pulled him in closely. The grip was entirely possessive. “Ju- Jumin what?” Zack pulled away. “What’s wrong all of a sudden?” 

Jumin took a step back and ran his fingers through his hair. “I… am not sure. Forgive me.” 

“It’s fine, I didn’t hate it but it was completely out of nowhere. Is, uhm, is it because of the video?” 

“I don’t know. I’ve been feeling rather uncomfortable.” 

Zack peered into his face. “What do you mean? Are you okay?” 

“Yes…. Yes I’m fine. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay… Like I said I didn’t hate it.” He chuckled and pushed Jumin to the bed. “You’re all tense. Here.” He carefully massaged his back. “As repayment for helping me calm down. We’re really making progress, even without V.” 

“I knowbut he still hasn’t shown up. He won’t answer the phone either.” Jumin pinched his brow. “This is unsettling.” 

“We’re doing fine. Eventually, he’ll have no choice but to talk, not with all of us rallying for answers.” He closed his eyes and fought the urge to yawn. “How do you think Yoosung is taking all of this? The evidence keeps stacking up against Rika.” 

“I’m sure he will need time. He’s still staying with Hyun so at least he won’t be alone. And Hyun gives good advice or lends an ear when needed.” 

“Yeah, I think so too.” Zack leaned onto Jumin and stared at the walls blankly. “… What if… what if Rika got into some trouble?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Like, maybe she made a bad call or maybe she was into gambling or something. What if _that’s_ the reason why she took funds. Maybe it was something pretty bad and she was afraid to tell all of you. Maybe… maybe someone killed-“ 

“You think she was murdered?” Jumin stood up and stared at Zack fiercely. 

“It’s a what if, Jumin. I mean… I was accusing her of being a liar but all this _secrecy_. I mean it could be that something really bad happened to her.” 

Jumin took a moment to think this over. “…There is…” he closed his eyes took a shaking breath, “there is another possibility. If she was in a financial crisis and was tempted to steal funds then perhaps she was in danger. Perhaps she could have owed the wrong people money.” 

“Like loan sharks!” 

“Per…perhaps.” 

“And that could mean that they… y-you know. Or maybe she couldn’t take the terror of it all… w-what if the debts transferred to V. Maybe that’s why he’s so hesitant on all-“ 

Seven burst into the room. “Guys! We have a problem!” 

Jaehee walked in with her laptop, she was as white as a ghost. “The… the people with the eyes near their names are all dead.” 

Zack reeled. “W-what?!” 

Jumin narrowed his eyes. “That can’t be. Some of those people I still do business with.” 

“No sir, I even checked our databases. They’re either dead or have gone missing.” 

Yoosung shook his head. “They’re _all_ dead or missing and there was nothing on the news? Nothing at all?” 

“Yoosung is right.” ZEN scrolled through his phone urgently. “I mean one of the names on there is my agents boss! He isn’t dead and I’ll prove it.” He pressed the phone to his ear and walked into the kitchen. 

“Wait wait wait.” Zack shook his head. “What about their families?” 

“Gone.” Seven washed his palms together. “All of them gone.” 

“The whole entire family? Grandparents? Uncles? Aunts?” 

“I’m working on that but according to some information I dug up… they either went missing or are dead.” 

“Dead _how_ exactly?” 

Jaehee rubbed her left temple while balancing the laptop with her right arm. “Fatal car accidents, boating accidents, lost in hunting-“ 

Zack stared at the floor processing this information. He took the laptop and read it over. “… Not just gone or dead.” He narrowed his eyes. “Completely disappeared… no bodies.” 

Yoosung twitched. Jumin rubbed his chin and spoke calmly. “Why haven’t we heard of this on our end Assistant Kang?” 

“I have called to inquire sir and the only response I get is that the companies were trying to keep it quiet. The people who disappeared were Directors or CEO’s themselves. Even Mr. Jungho is gone.” She showed him the man’s file. 

Zack gasped. “Oh god!” He snatched it and covered his mouth. “NO!” 

“What?!” Everyone jumped. 

“Th-That’s the man! That’s the man I met at the bar!” 

“Who?” Seven took the file. 

“T-The man who talked like my ex. He kept forcing me to drink and… oh my god he drugged me. Remember?! Remember that night Jumin?” 

“…Yes I remember.” His brows were furrowed in confusion. 

“T-This is getting scary.” Yoosung rubbed his neck. 

ZEN ran in looking just as pale as Jaehee. “They said he died!” 

“How?!” Jumin was becoming agitated. 

“They just said he went on vacation to his hometown and he never came back. They contacted his family and they haven’t seen him but they found his car in a river.” 

“No body…” Seven mumbled. 

Zack flipped through the files and froze. “… No… No this is insane. Tha-that’s the man who told me about the RFA app…” 

The room froze, perhaps their hearts even stopped. Was it human trafficking? A cult? A serial killer? Yoosung rubbed his arms and spoke first, his voice was dry. “I… I don’t feel safe.” 

Jumin nodded firmly and rubbed his mouth with his thumb. “I’ve decided, everyone is staying here tonight. We will figure this out.” 

“Thank you.” Yoosung wiped his eyes. Zack dragged his fingers through his hair and shuddered. “I’m just going to wash up.” Yoosung shuffled out of the room. ZEN followed after him and spoke gently. 

“M…Mr. Han, I think I will open another bottle of wine.” 

“Yes, that sounds appropriate.” 

“I’m going to contact V.” Seven stormed out of the room. 

“Stay close to the building Luciel. And stay near the security!” 

“Got it!” The front door slammed shut. 

Zack collapsed onto the bed and stared at his hands. “W…what is going on?” 

“I don’t know. For now let us just take comfort that we are all here together. I will _never_ let anyone touch you. Do you understand?” 

“Yeah.” Zack held the file of the man who threw him into all of this. “What the hell… what the hell is going on?” 

“I have no idea.” Jumin repeated firmly. “Something very odd is going on, yes that much is true. I just… I need to get a glass of wine.” He exited the room. 

> _“You know, there’s this app called the RFA. It’s really hard to find for some reason but it’s a lot of fun.”_
> 
> _“What’s it do?”_
> 
> _“It’s just a chat app, like those chat roulette things. Except there’s no face cam or anything so nothing disgusting will show. You can find paradise in that chat though. People just talk and it really helps when you’re feeling down. It’s just… better than what’s out there now.”_
> 
> _“That’s nice.”_
> 
> _“You should download it.”_
> 
> _“Yeah, I guess.”_
> 
> _“You look like you’ve been through a lot of pain.”_
> 
> _“Something like that.”_
> 
> _“You know, I was like you once. Heartbroken and just going through life day by day. This world was so ugly that I just wondered how on earth was I going to get through this. Then my friend told me about the app-“_
> 
> _“Look man did you make the app or is it like a virus? Shut up about the app already.”_
> 
> _“Hey, I’m just trying to help.”_
> 
> _“Look, here, I’ll download right now if you just shut up. See? There! Now I have your stupid app. Better?”_
> 
> _“Trust me, you’ll be feeling better soon.”_
> 
> _XX-XX-201X 10:31pm  
>  To _ **_555-4343:  
>  _ ** _Lloyd, please. Please talk to me. I need you. And I miss you. We can start over, start anew. We lived in our paradise, why must we burn it? Our Garden of Eden is gone, please let us go back. I love you. Dammit. I love you so much, so why? Why did you hurt me so?_
> 
> _“In… fact… they come from Zack’s phone the most. I went through it and found blips in his regular messenger. … … it wasn’t tracking them it was like… sending them messages.”_

Zack put a hand to his mouth. Those eyes… those eyes have been watching him all this time. Controlling him. Who though? Who was trying to control him?! Or, was it just paranoia? Yes… 

Yes it was just paranoia. No one would ever do such a thing. Right? 

He felt sick. Slowly he stood up and walked, mindlessly, to the bathroom. He opened the toilet lid and knelt down. Almost on autopilot he stuck his fingers in his mouth and forced him to purge. 

They’ve been watching him. They? He didn’t feel safe alone anymore. 

There was a knock at the door. “Are you okay?” 

Jumin. 

Jumin had been making him feel safe since the worst of it had happened. 

“No.” His voice was raspy. “But give me a minute.” 

** ~* 7 PM *~  **

After washing up, Zack made him way back to the living room. Everyone sat silently, only the cats made a fuss in their cages. ZEN wasn’t even sneezing anymore, he was just pale and staring off into space. All of them were. Not even Seven was working, he just stood there at the counter looking at the sink. Zack reached for the wine bottle and froze. He sighed and pressed his hands into to counter and clenched his fists. He wanted to drink SO BADLY but he refused to give into his vice. Instead he gave into another vice and grabbed the finger foods off the plate. 

Once again, after nearly 30 minutes of silence, it was Yoosung who spoke up first. “I… I think I’m tired.” 

“Let’s set up the bedroom then.” Zack slightly perked up; some housework would help him right now. “Men, I think you should stay in here, give Jaehee the guest room.” 

Jaehee put her glass down. “Oh I-“ 

“No buts, you deserve your own space.” He smiled. 

“Yeah Jaehee, we’ll be fine in here.” ZEN stood up then sat back down. “I… I’m sorry I’m going to go smoke.” 

“The terrace is safe.” Jumin spoke into his glass. 

“Yeah.” 

“I can take the cats out.” Seven mumbled. 

“Be careful with them.” Jumin said sternly. 

“Of course.” He tried to smile. “…V never answered.” 

“He will.” Jumin walked away with Jaehee to help her with her room. 

Yoosung helped Zack set up the bedding and pillows in the living room as well as changing the bedsheets in the guest room. Neither said a word to each other as they laid down blankets and bedding. Yoosung sighed as he planted himself on his makeshift bed. “Oh… we didn't make yours.” He moved to get up. 

“That's okay. I, uhm, I'm sure I'll be sleeping in Jumin's…” Zack chuckled nervously while he scratched his head awkwardly. 

“Oh… are you two?…” 

“Feeling it out. I mean, I dunno. I’m more of a courting man myself but like… I dunno.” 

Yoosung smiled. “It’s an odd choice. Erm! I mean an odd couple… Uh! I mean!” He waved his arms around wildly.

“I get it.” Zack sighed. “It's pretty… it's moving quick I guess.” He shrugged. “I just don't know. Right now it's just nice to have another person to cuddle up with during these _interesting_ times?” 

“I wouldn't know.” The blonde chuckled. 

“Seven will more than likely do it.”

“You're right.” Zack laughed. “Maybe I'll ask him.” 

Zack sat next to him and grunted as he stretched out his legs. He didn't know what to say, he just leaned back and closed his eyes. Yoosung did the same and let out a low grumble. He felt a hand grip his tightly. Zack opened his eyes, looking up at the ceiling, and spoke lowly. “We'll figure this out… we have to.” The only acknowledgment he received was a tight squeeze to his hand. 

The guest room opened, “I see, yes I see… thank you sir.” Jaehee sighed as she hung up her phone and shuffled through the files. 

“Ms. Kang, we shall look over this tomor-…” Jumin cleared his throat, “tomorrow. For now let us rest.” Zack felt a hand grab his wrist. “Let’s go. Now.” 

“Whoah!” Zack was pulled up roughly. “What’s wro-“ 

“You should relax.” Jumin sounded tense. 

“I _was_ relaxing. Geez what’s your deal?” 

“Enough. I won’t argue with you right now.” Jumin closed the bedroom door. He paced around the room as he dressed into his pajamas. “We will find out who these people are. We just need to keep looking at the evidence. I will pour the bestof my people into this situation.” 

“Of course.” Zack arched his brow. “We might have hit a rock wall.” 

“No. I will not allow it. Now rest.” He looked annoyed. 

“I _was_ resting Jumin. Look, I’m scared too but I can handle myself.” Jumin gave him a look. “I can Jumin.” The CEO was still unconvinced. “ _I can_. Jeez. And why are you locking me in here? I was with Yoosung right now.” 

“I know.” Jumin mumbled before getting into bed. “Just sleep.” 

“I’m not tired.” Zack tried to get up but Jumin held his hand tightly. “You’re being a brat.” 

“I’m just concerned about all of you and I would hate for you to go off like you do.” Zack looked away as Jumin said this. “I know you would do something the moment I look away. You always do.” 

He couldn’t deny that before he may have, but now? He couldn’t even began to think about leaving this place alone. There were people out there who were supposed to be dead walking around and trying to do something to him. Ruin his life it seemed. 

“They made me join and then they just forced me to go through all this shit. Why?” 

Jumin stayed silent. 

“You guys aren’t part of-“ 

“No Zachary. We are all effected by this as much as you.” 

Zack pulled his hand away and moved to the window. “Right.” He could feel Jumin’s eyes on him but that was starting to become a normal occurrence. He looked at his messages and froze. 

> ** From: 000-0000  **
> 
> You want answers right? I'll give you all the answers for a price. And if you tell that idiot hacker of yours about this, I'll be gone. I'll delete everything
> 
> **      To: 000-0000 **
> 
>      Is this Savior or Ray? 
> 
> ** From: 000-0000  **
> 
> Do you want answers or not? 

Zack bit his bottom lip and glanced at Jumin in the reflection of the window. 

> **      To: 000-0000  **
> 
>      Yes. Tell me your demands. 

*~* 

“This is ridiculous.” Jumin crossed his arms. “This unknown number wants to meet you alone? No. I won't allow it.” 

“But you can get some bodyguards right?” ZEN crossed his knee. 

“Once he meets this person I'll start tracking the number.” Seven paced the room. He clicked his tongue and punched his hand into his palm. “No. No it’s too risky.” 

“What if this person knows we're planning this?” Jaehee glanced at the wine room where they agreed to lock their phones for this meeting. “All of this would mean nothing. We could be walking right into a trap.”

“And what if they try to kill you?” Jumin narrowed his eyes. 

Zack shook his head. “If it’s… I dunno! But I told this person I'll meet them in three days. We can prepare for that.”

“But it could be a trap.” Jaehee shook her head. “However, I agree with ZEN, we have resources that we can use to ensure your safety.” 

Seven shook his head. “It’s too risky.” 

ZEN ran his fingers through his long silver hair. “But what else do we have to go on? What are we supposed to do? Stay here for the rest of our lives? No way in hell.” 

“This is crazy. I say we vote. Right?” Yoosung bit his nails as everyone nodded.“I vote no.” 

“I also say no.” Seven bit his lip. 

“I… I'm sorry but I vote yes.” ZEN lowered his head.“I'm sorry Zack.” 

“It's okay.” 

“I vote yes as well.” Jaehee brushed her hair back.“We need these answers.” 

“No.” Jumin said flatly.

Zack nodded.“And I vote yes. So we're tied. Let's just-ugh- let's sleep on it and then we'll talk about this tomorrow. I think we've hit a wall and we need to just process all of this in our own way.” 

“I agree.” Jaehee stood up.“I need time to just adjust to all of this and I have a migraine.” 

“Okay then it's decided. We'll talk about this after breakfast tomorrow.” 

The group dispersed, none actually exhausted but mentally fatigued. Zack sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face. “Jumin, we need to meet with him.” 

“You’re insane.” Jumin closed the door holding Elizabeth, Butty was with Seven in the living room. “We cannot-“ 

“We have to!” Zack clenched his fist. “This is getting bad! If they don’t meet me now they certainly will later! They already have!” 

“They won’t be able to meet you. Not here.” 

“I’m not going to be here all the time! What if they pretend to be a customer at Pure Joy!? Or what if I sit with someone on the bus and it’s the… the eye people!? Or whatever they are.” 

“You cannot risk your life!” 

“And I can’t live like this for the rest of my life either! What am I going to do?! They know who my family and friends are! My _family!_ Whatever is going on is serious. Really serious!” 

“I understand that Zachary but-“ 

“We have to Jumin! I can’t live like this. I can’t think that every stranger that walks through that door is trying to… I don’t even know what! But we have a lead. I trust you to protect me. I do. Three days Jumin. Three. We can plan everything. And… I mean… I just wish that idiot of a president V would answer his damn phone.” 

“Zachary.” 

“Sorry but this is frustrating. If he were here everything would be cleared up. I can feel it in my gut.” He held his phone tightly. “Jumin… If you don’t want to do this fine but I don’t care about this vote. I’m going to do it. My family, my friends, they could be in danger. I have kid cousins and my friend is pregnant. I… If these people or whoever this is, I mean if they’re doing something bad… my family.” He gritted his teeth. “I can’t allow it.” 

“…I understand. I just don’t have a good feeling about this.” 

“Neither do I honestly.” Zack walked up to him and petted Fuzz Butt. “I really don’t but… what else can we do? That person said they’ll delete everything. I want to tackle this carefully.” 

“As do I.” He took a moment of thought. “I have a lot of people to consider as well and I am weary of this plan. I must consider what this all means.” 

Zack smiled. “Yeah. We’ll sleep on it like we said.” He sat back down. “Let’s watch TV. You have a television in here?” 

“No, I only have it in the living room.” 

“That’s fine. I’ll do something else. Maybe I’ll talk with the others, if they’re willing.” Jumin tensed next to him. “You okay?”

“What do you mean?” Jumin put El on the bed. 

“I mean all the touching, the kiss earlier, you keep pulling me back to the room, what’s up with you?” 

“I am just worried about you.” 

“If you say so.” He flipped flipped through one of Jumin’s books. “I mean during the meeting it helped but it was a bit embarrassing. No, it was pretty embarrassing. I mean it calmed me down but…” 

“You have a problem of snapping at people and I don’t want you snapping at us.” Jumin said in monotone. 

“I know but…” He thumbed the pages. “Can’t you be more discreet?” 

“I want to help you, what does it matter?” 

“It just makes me embarrassed.” 

“You shouldn’t care.” 

“I don’t like PDA. Maybe you can just give me like a rabbits foot. You don’t have to touch me.” 

“Do you not like it?” 

“I do, but not in public.” 

“So I could do it now?” 

“Yeah.” Zack glanced at him. 

“I see.” He grabbed the book he was reading the other day. 

The room felt silent. “… Thought… thought you were gonna touch me.” 

“Oh? So you do want me to touch you?” 

“…Shut up.” He pulled one of the pillows to his chest and held it closely to his chest. “This may be a mess of a situation but uh, uhm,” he glanced up at Jumin, “well I’m glad I met you. All of you.” 

“Yes.” Jumin looked down from his book. “I too.” 

“Yeah? Heh… yeah… “ He held the pillow tighter. “God I’m scared. What if they’re out there? What if we’re next? A staged death and then they… were do they go?” 

“Let’s not think about that right now. Relax and close your eyes and just focus on your show and the healing powers that Elizabeth has. She has-” Zack stopped listening. His mind kept thinking of how these people could hurt his parents. His friends. And his little cousins. All innocent. All of them disappearing, faked deaths or maybe they were actually killed and are buried somewhere. Somewhere in a forest. Maybe it’s cannibles. “Zachary?” 

“Yeah… this is really bad.” 

“I know. I don’t understand it myself. There are too many possibilities that feels plausible. We just need to clear up these mysteries, although I’m hesitant to learn the answer myself.” 

Zack felt a sudden urge to drink. “I’m going to get some fresh air.” 

“Za-“ 

“I’ll be fine. I just need to be alone for a bit.” Something jingled. “I can’t concentrate right now” 

** ~* Roof 9pm*~  **

Zack held the wine bottle tightly in his hand as he leaned against the glass fence. He hadn’t taken a single swig but he was tempted. Everyone downstairs was asleep or at least attempting to be. Butty was with Seven but he thought he heard the cat get up when he left the penthouse. It was nice to see Seven have a cat with him, seemed like a dream come true for the hacker. Everyone looked so peaceful and innocent. “-have to do this…” 

“No.” Seven closed the roof door. “I don’t think you should.” 

“Seven,” Zack didn’t even look back, “it’s the best lead we have.” 

“It’s dangerous.” He stood next to him looking up at the stars. 

“What hasn’t been dangerous?” 

“I don’t… You’ll get hurt.” 

Zack looked over at him and smiled. “Not with all of you behind my back. I won’t put pressure on you, I don’t want that.” He patted his shoulder. “You’ve done a lot of great work that I- oof.” Seven hugged him tightly. “Seven… come on man it’s okay.” He held him back and took a breath. “I’m scared.” 

“You’re telling me! What if you die!?” 

“I don’t feel like that’s going to happen.” 

“I’m going to monitor your phone and everything. I’m going to have a microphone set up on you and a gun-“ 

“Let’s not go that far Seven. We don’t need to go shooting people yet… But maybe it’d be for the best…” 

“You know how?” They still hadn’t let each other go. 

“I’ve hunted deer and duck and what not.” Seven shook his head vigorously. “Seven… it’s okay. It’s oka-“ 

“I can’t! I’m sorry but… you’re… friend.” Seven was crying. “You took care of me and cared for me… and I haven’t felt that ever.” 

“Seven…” He petted his hair, a part of his heart was breaking at his words, “it’s okay. Heh, I’ll happily cook for you and help you any time. All the time. We all care about you.” 

“But you… please don’t do it!” He was near sobbing.

_He sounds devastated but… why is he so heartbroken? He must be… he’s so lonely. He’s broken._ “It’s okay, shh, it’s okay. We’re going to sleep on it. We’ve got level headed Jaehee and Jumin to think of every possible scenario. What can possibly go wrong?” 

“Everything can.” 

“Just don’t think about it right now. If you want I can stay with you as long as you want. I won’t go anywhere.” 

“What about Jumin?” 

“It’s fine. I’m helping a friend and that matters most.” 

“… yeah. Thank you. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be showing this side of myself-“ 

“Seven you’re human. And I care about you, okay? You can’t be ashamed of your feelings. I won’t judge.” 

“Heh… do you take your own advice?” 

“Touche.” They sat down near the base of the tree. “You wanna adopt Butty?” 

“Can I?!” Seven grinned. _Thank god he looks best this way._

Zack smirked. “As long as you don’t stretch him. You can come up with other memes with him yeah?” 

“Is that a challenge? Of course I can.” 

Zack chuckled. “You’re right. I forgot who I was talking to.” A plane flew overhead. “If things keep up like this… I don’t think I can go home. God my life is such a mess right now.” 

“…Do you miss home?” 

“Yeah. I miss my parents. I miss my dog. I miss myself.” He chuckled and dragged the bottle against the grass. 

Seven nodded. “You’ll find yourself again. You were pretty calm during the meeting. But… I guess Jumin helped with that, heh…” He adjusted his glasses. 

“God Jumin… I can’t even begin to figure out what that is all about. Dude, in regards to that, I feel like a damn teenager. Or like I’m constantly drunk. Lost? I’m like wobbling around and Jumin’s there pulling me left to right and… god I just don’t know.” 

Seven nodded. “He seems a little drunk too.” 

“Right? Ugh.” 

“Heheh maybe you should fall for me?” 

“Hmmm sure. I like you too.” 

“…Really?” Seven adjusted his glasses again. 

“Mmhmm.” Zack eyed the stars. “Not every thought about you has been clean.” Zack looked over after a long beat of silence. “Heh, did you crash? Or are you overheating?” He brought his face closer to Seven’s. “Cat got your tongue?” 

“I-I-I-I-I” 

Zack studied his face and felt his heart squeeze. _Shit… I’ve never liked two people at the same time before… dammit._ “You okay?” 

“Ye-You-Yes-You do? You think… no don’t tell me. I don’t… You shouldn’t think that about me… I don’t deserve- Ah!” 

Zack kissed his cheek. “Shut up about that nonsense. Just… don’t.” 

“Wh-what-what about-“ 

“It’s nothing official… but… I guess now’s not the time.” He opened the wine bottle and took a swig. “Want some?” 

“…Okay.” Seven took a drink and crinkled his nose. “Not my brand.” 

“You mean soda?” 

“Pfft I know I seem immature but I do have a preference.” 

Zack smirked and took another gulp. It was god awful but the liquor was calming his senses. “I don’t think I have a preference anymore. Also, this is certainly not the big ole sleepover party I was hoping for.” 

“Ha! Neither did I.” Seven downed more wine. “Next time right?” 

“Yeah. Next time. Jumin’s got all those games.” 

“Haha! Now that would be really fun. All his chefs cooking for us and we just play party games all night.” Seven smiled dreamily. “I would love that. I really would… you gotta be there too.” 

“Of course.” Zack stared at him. “… Yeah of course I will. You gotta show them the powers of the God of Space.” 

“Ha… yeah some ‘god’.” Seven drank more. 

“Don’t.” Zack chugged the wine and winced at the burn. “Shit that’s good.” 

“Heh so much for sharing.” He grabbed the bottle and drank more. 

“Psh sorry.” He felt the buzz almost instantly. “There’s always more downstairs.” 

Seven frowned. “True but I don’t want to move right now. I want to stay right here.” 

He looked at Seven and smiled. “Me too. Today and all this week and, well you know, it’s been complete and utter shite. And seeing you just so… so broken.” He sipped the wine. 

“Don’t worry about someone like me.” 

“Dammit Seven you’ve got so much to offer to everyone but you just tell me things like ‘I don’t deserve it’ and ‘I gotta work all the time’. I get that your life is something out of… of a freaking game almost. You’re that guy who does all the hacking and is comic relief and that’s your role but you’re so much more than that. Look at all you did for me. Shit I’ve put you through so much.” 

“You didn’t. It’s my job-“ 

“I saw how you live. Alone in that house with only your cars. You don’t even get to see us. I was you, you know? When i was with Lloyd and I had a dry spell in my job searching. He was moving up and I was always alone. I hated doing things because I had him. But when he was gone all I had was this tiny apartment and the things inside to keep my company.” Zack grabbed Seven’s hand. “God… I can’t stand to watch you just… I like you a lot.” 

“W-what? Zack I think the wine is talking.” 

“You can’t dismiss what I’m saying on something like that. I already said it _before_ I was drinking.” He stared at Seven in the eyes, the only light coming from the moon. “I’m not tied to anybody. And no, it’s not the wine talking. It takes more glasses than that to screw me over. Tonight, let’s just say tonight, if you want, never happened. I won’t hold anything against you, I won’t expect anything later. But tonight. I wanna kiss you.” 

“Wha!” 

“Can I? Tonight? I know everything will be okay but… no… no regrets right?” 

“What are you… saying?” Seven glanced away. “No regrets? What are you planning dammit!?” 

“Nothing. I’m not planning anything. I’m saying I want to kiss you because I like you.” 

“……….There won’t be… you won’t have regrets………But I’ve s-said that before and things go wrong…………Dammit. Just… fucking hell.” 

“Yeah. Fucking hell.” They leaned closer to each other. It was just a soft peck that led to a little something more. Maybe it really _was_ the wine doing the talking but something about tonight felt good. He didn’t regret anything. Neither seemed to. Who knows what will happen in the future. 

** ~*~ Unknown Location ~*~  **

“Soon… soon I will have him and finally have that angel. Yes… Argh… my head… hurry up… three days… three days is not quick enough! DAMMIT!… Just give them to us!… Damn… it hurts so much.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a summary (which I suck at) since it's been months since I posted. Btw yo I'm back. Blame Red Dead Redemption 2, it's too addicting. Also Fallout 4, I started playing it again. But anyways I'm back babies! Woo! 
> 
> I don't have much to say whoops. But if you wanna talk with me, you can find me on discord with the handle: GhostingSaysStuff (and Finni if you read this I just changed my name to make it easier to find me since apparently I'm not as original as I thought I was. There isn't two accounts) Once again that's GhostingSaysStuff . 
> 
> Anyways, hope the chapter was good. I'm happy to be writing again, so very freeing yes yes. as for the ending in this chapter, what can I say. I liked em both. :P


	20. Temporary Hiatus

Hey everyone, I'm sorry to do this again but I need to take a break and try to take care of myself.  I'm going to  work on the story and hopefully make it enjoyable and fun and dramatic :D that is when I can 

Thanks for all the support! ~Ghosting 

 

Ps. Posted this on seven route as well. 


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